The Heart of the Prince
by j3swimmer
Summary: Merlin and Arthur are in love! But what happens when Uther finds out?  Merlin is imprisoned and Arthur is forced into an unhappy relationship with a stuck up princess! My first fanfiction! Probably should have warnings for violence and slash.
1. Chapter 1: Secrets

**AN: Hmm, first fanfiction. Don't really know what I am doing? This is kind of a warning. But still. Go for it. read this! I would love that. I have the first seven chapters written-ish, and it does get more exciting than this, I promise. Umm, I don't really expect anything. As a warning, this is a Merthur fic, if you didn't know, so if you don't like that you probably won't like this and shouldn't read it, cause there are many better ways of spending your time. Anyways, if you do read this thank you. And thank you to the friend who edited this. But if it is bad, don't blame her, I might have ignored some of her excellent advise. Bad Jessica! But story. Right. Here we go!**

**Oh, and I don't own Merlin. If I did, Gwaine would never wear a shirt. **

Chapter 1: Secrets

It had been six months

Six perfect, wonderful months.

Merlin could not have imagined things ever turning out this perfectly. It had been six months since, on a hunting trip, Merlin and Arthur had been attacked by bandits. Six months since Merlin used his magic to save Arthur. Six months since Arthur told Merlin that he wasn't going to tell his father.

Six months since that first perfect, wonderful kiss.

It had been a sunny fall day, and Arthur had decided that he needed to take advantage of one of the last good hunting opportunities of the season. So, dragging Merlin with him of course, they headed out into the woods, unaware of the dangers that lurked in the forest.

The bandits would have been no match for Arthur, if he weren't outnumbered twenty to one- well, two if you counted Merlin, but Arthur never really did when it came to fighting. Arthur was quite mistaken in his overlooking of his manservant, but Merlin's desperate attack on the bandit about to stab Arthur from behind was one Arthur never expected. To see his servant with eyes flash] gold, condemning him of the crime his father had fought against for over twenty years, shocked the prince, allowing the bandits to gain the upper hand in the fight, and forcing Merlin to resort to even more blatant uses of his once hidden skill to save his friend.

The bandits had stood no chance against Merlin. It wouldn't have mattered if they outnumbered him 50-1, his magic was more than enough to stop them all when he saw his prince in danger. As soon as all the bandits were either incapacitated or far from them, Merlin ran to Arthur's side. His fear of Arthur's reaction was greatly overpowered by his fear that his master, no, best friend, had been injured. When Arthur backed away from Merlin's frantic hands, Merlin froze. Afraid that his worst fears had come to pass, he quickly tried to explain to Arthur, stuttering over apologies for not telling him earlier, and promises that he would only use his powers for good, when Arthur leaned forward and stopped his hysterical pleas with a kiss.

Merlin was shocked.

Merlin was overjoyed.

Merlin was completely and utterly bamboozled.

His prince, his master, his best friend, whom he loved more than anything, but was convinced could never receive any love from in return, was kissing him. He had just done magic in front of him! Merlin knew that proper "knight of Camelot" procedure in a situation like this was to kill the sorcerer, no questions asked. Definitely not kiss them. But it felt so wonderful. To have his golden-haired prince pressed so close to him, knowing that his abilities and his feelings, were no longer secret to the man with whom he shared a destiny, was incredible. But, he had so many questions. He had to know what Arthur was thinking, and what was going to happen to him when they returned to Camelot, because there was no way he was leaving Arthur's side now.

So, Merlin pulled away from Arthur, and the two pairs of blue eyes met for the first time since the condemning gold had faded from one of them.

"W-What are you doing?" Merlin managed to stutter out.

"What did it look like I was doing, _Mer_-lin."

"Well, umm, I guess the real question is why? Shouldn't you have killed me?"

"Am I that bad of a kisser, would you really prefer to be dead?" Arthur asked, sarcastically.

"Well, no, I mean your quite a good- wait, you know what I mean! You saw me do magic, but, you're not going to kill me?"

"No Merlin because unlike my father, I have realized something, not all magic is evil. And if I wasn't sure about that before, I am now. Because there is no way you could be evil Merlin, because, well, because I love you."

This last comment had struck Merlin dumb. He started at the eyes of his prince, the eyes that he had dreamt about so many times, and saw the truth of his words. He couldn't believe it. Arthur loved him? Arthur loved him! But that was impossible right? He was prince of Camelot, he had to have a queen, a queen who could give him an heir, which Merlin would never be able to do.

"What do we do now?"

Arthur, still a little stunned at his own sudden admittance of emotion glanced back up at Merlin. He had been sure that he would run, that he would laugh, that there was no way he felt the same. But he hadn't. He was still there, waiting for instructions.

"Wait, does that me you love me too?"

Merlin looked a little taken aback at this question, as he answered,

"Arthur, how could I not love you? Every day you show such wisdom and kindness, watching you take care of the people of Camelot has been the most amazing time of my life. And don't even get me started on your looks, there's not a woman alive who hasn't fallen for you. Of course, it's not only women, I love you Arthur. I love you more than I believed to be possible. But you're a prince. How, I mean, I want this more than anything, but how can we be together?"

"It doesn't matter Merlin, I love you, and you love me. That's all that's important. Not what anyone else thinks."

"But your father, he'll never accept me Arthur, not only am I a servant and a man, but I'm also a warlock. And even if he doesn't know I have magic, he would still kill me before he allowed us to be together."

This made Arthur pause. Merlin was right, of course, but he couldn't not act on his feelings now that he knew that Merlin felt the same. So he replied, "We will have to keep it secret, until… until I'm king, then, well, we'll figure it out then, but for now, we can go on lots of "hunting trips", and you can stay in the "antechambers" by my room. My father doesn't have to know, but I can't go on without you Merlin, not when I know you feel like this too."

A lopsided grin stretched across the sorcerer's face as he jumped on his prince bringing him into a tight hug. He trusted in his words. Believed that it could work.

So, they had six months. Six wonderful, perfect months.

Before their plans failed.

Nothing could ever be that perfect.


	2. Chapter 2: Discovered

**Hello lovely people who are reading my story! I just wanted to thank all of you! Especially sophiahitachiin for my first review, azravinh who was the first person to put my story on their alert, and isineferet who was the first to favorite it! I LOVE YOU ALL! And the people who weren't first, I LOVE YOU TOO, that would just be more names than I feel like typing, when I could be typing others things...**

**Umm, anyhoo, chapter two. What you should know. No one has edited this chapter (except me) so there are probably lots of mistakes. If you are good at noticing that kind of stuff and want to tell me about it, I would love a review! And sorry, the exciting stuff doesn't quite start in this chapter, but we are definitely getting there. In other words, this chapter is not just fluff like the first one! Not sure how often I will update, I kind of want to put a lot on right now, but feel like I should wait a bit. I couldn't wait too long though, cause I want to make you guys happy! So, on with the story.**

**And I don't own Merlin. Which, to be completely honest, is probably a good thing.**

Chapter two: Discovered

Arthur woke with Merlin tucked into his side. Merlin had been spending most nights in Arthur's chambers since the day in the woods when they had both admitted to their feelings. It had not been too difficult to hide their love, seeing as most people had already accepted the slightly unusual closeness of the master and servant, and believed it to be nothing more than a friendship both of them greatly deserved. Well, Gaius was definitely suspicious, as were Gwen and Morgana, but none of them would say anything to anyone else, and merely exchanged knowing glances whenever Merlin and Arthur left a room together, or stood a little too close.

Their hastily made plan was working perfectly, well WAS working.

Arthur was having breakfast with his father and Morgana, with Merlin and Gwen scurrying about with pitchers of water to refill the goblets, when Uther spoke, "Arthur, you are aware that King Edmund is coming to visit in four days, I wish for you to be on your best behavior."

"What do you mean, father?" Arthur replied, with slight hesitation, "When have I ever not been on my best behavior for guests?"

"This is not just any guest Arthur, King Edmund holds much of the land between our kingdom and Mercia, if we are on better terms with him it would mean great things for our kingdom"

"Alright… still, I don't really see why you feel the need to warn me, unless there is something more. Father, what aren't you telling me?"

"Arthur, that is exactly the kind of disrespect I do not want you showing in front of our guests" Uther stated, his tone staying neutral, but slowly growing into something that resembled a growl, "but there is one thing I have kept from you, I did not think that I needed to trouble you with this earlier, but his daughter, the Lady Carina, will also be joining us. King Edmund and I believe that a marriage between you would greatly benefit both kingdoms."

The last sentence the king spoke sounded like an afterthought, but it left every person in the room in shocked silence. Merlin had frozen, eyes flickering between the king, who continued eating calmly, and the prince who had forgone all thought of food and was staring, with a look of shock, at his father. Gwen and Morgana shot worried glance back and forth, nervous for how Arthur would react to this statement, but they did not have to wait long before the young prince broke the silence, asking his father,

"You think we should marry? But father, you can't be serious; I don't even know this Lady Carina. You can't expect me to marry someone I do not love."

Luckily for the forbidden couple, Uther did not notice Arthur's brief glance at Merlin when he said the word love. He also did not notice the small smile that flickered to Merlin's face, before he returned his eyes to his feet, trying his best not to drop the pitcher he was holding.

Uther was completely focused on Arthur, yelling, "That does not matter, Arthur! You have shown no interest in any of the girls from other kingdoms, and we need to find you a bride. This has gotten unreasonable. You cannot reject every girl who is worthy of being your queen! You must find your match, or the Pendragon line will be lost!"

"That's what you're really worried about isn't it father? Not about me, not even the kingdom, just that I have a child? I am sorry father, but I will not marry to ensure the time a Pendragon rules over Camelot continues."

With that statement, Arthur marched out of the dining hall, ignoring his father's orders for him to remain. He was followed by Merlin, who had handed his pitcher to one of the servants by the doors, and rushed to Arthur.

When Merlin arrived at Arthur's chambers he was not surprised to see that Arthur had decided to take his anger at his father out on some innocent furniture. His room was a mess, which slightly irritated Merlin as he knew that he would be cleaning up this mess.

But, that wasn't important right now, what was important was getting Arthur to calm down, so they could figure this out.

Arthur, who was sitting on the bed, staring at the wall opposite the door Merlin had just entered through, needed him. Merlin crept around to sit next to him, and pull him into a hug. Merlin often found himself comforting the prince after an argument with his father, but this was different. They had known that something like this was bound to happen but it was so difficult to actually be forced to face this situation. So they sat, in silence, as Merlin stroked his love's hair, and wished that there was an easy solution to their problem.

After about five minutes Arthur shook Merlin off and began pacing the room.

"This isn't fair." The upset prince shouted, "We should not have to hide. I love you Merlin, I love you so much. Why can't I show it to the world?"

"You know that can't happen, Arthur" Merlin replied, slowly walking to Arthur, and stopping his frantic pacing so he could look him in the eyes. "And we knew this would happen eventually. Maybe you should just marry this Lady Carina, she could be nice, and we know you need someone to give you an heir."

"That's just it Merlin, why does it have to be a Pendragon on the throne after me? Why can't I find someone who actually deserves to rule. We can find the perfect leader to take over, and I will never have to marry! I've thought about it, and it almost makes more sense. The Pendragons have already done enough to this kingdom. Maybe it's time for a change. Maybe we should just run away and be together, save the kingdom from having to deal with such a prat for a king."

"Arthur you are going to be an amazing king. Do not ever doubt that. This country needs you to bring the peace and prosperity. And no one cares more about the people than you do. I wish there was a way out of this as well, but Arthur, you must be king. And although I wish we could just appoint the next king, the people might not accept that. The power has always been handed down through generations. We don't want the people to revolt. So you will have to find someone else eventually. But I will always be by your side, no matter what. Even if you love someone else."

"I could never love anyone else Merlin! How could you even think that!" The prince said, pulling the skinnier man into an embrace.

"And I know that I must be king, I want to help the people, but I love you, and I don't want anything to get in the way of that. What are we going to do Merlin?" Arthur finished with a soft plea.

"Don't worry Arthur. We will get through this. I love you, and I will never let anything come between us, I promise."

With that the young warlock pulled his prince into a kiss. Arthur leaned into his love, holding to him tightly, almost as if he was scared he would drift away if he let go.

Uther had not followed his son out of the dining hall. He figured giving his son a little time to reflect on his rash actions would probably be best. Plus, he was hungry, and he wasn't about to let a good breakfast go cold.

So this is how Uther decided, after finishing his meal that he needed to have a talk with his errant son. Still slightly enraged by his son's blatant disrespect during breakfast, he stomped off to his son's chambers. He did not knock when he got to the door, as he was king, and kings did not knock, so the two occupants of the room had no warning of the new person joining them. In this way, Uther stumbled across his son, the future king of Camelot in the arms of a servant. A male servant.


	3. Chapter 3: Ultimatium

**AN: Ok. I am going to give it a few days before I upload another chapter. This is just too much fun! So, a few things that I realized I hadn't mentioned and thought I should. 1: this is set somewhere in season two, before The Fires of Idrisholas but after The Witchfinder. Which, sadly, means there will be no Gwaine. Lancelot might show up, I'm not sure yet. But no Gwaine. I am sorry. I totally understand if you stop reading. Gwaine is kinda amazing. Oh, and it means Merlin hasn't met his father yet. So now Dragon Lord powers. I think that's all for that so on to number 2: as a reminder, this is my first fanfiction, and although that is a lame excuse, I am going to use it. If things are bad, characters are OOC, I don't update right, I screw things up, I'm sorry. But it probably will happen. Those were the two big things. This is my last chapter of this size for a while. They start getting slightly longer after this. And thanks again for the hits, favorites, views, review (only one at the moment, if people have time reviews make me smile, and I really like smiling, but don't feel pressured. I hate that.), and alerts. All that good stuff.**

**Oh, and one more thing. A couple characters are homophobic. They are also evil. I want to make sure that everyone reading this is not insulted by anything they might say, because they are both stupid and cannot see the beauty that is the love Merlin and Arthur have towards each other. And I totally support Gay rights. Although it is probably slightly obvious by the whole evil thing, those character's views are about as far from mine as possible. I just thought I should put a warning out there. I think it shouldn't be too bad until chapter seven when my original evil character feels the need to express his views on the issue (which really shouldn't be an issue. Why do people have to be so silly?)**

**Anyhoo, without further gilding the lily, and with no more ado, I give you chapter three.**

**still don't own Merlin. But Gwaine is mine. Back off, ladies and gentlemen. **

Chapter 3: Ultimatum

Arthur and Merlin had still been kissing when Uther walked in. If they had not been so distracted by the situation they were currently faced with (and Merlin's temporary "kiss it better" solution) they might have heard the angry stomping of the King of Camelot as he approached their room. Unfortunately for the young lovers, it was not until Uther had barged in that they had noticed his presence. And then it was too late. He had seen them. Their secret was out.

Arthur pulled Merlin behind him and began searching desperately for his sword as he heard his father call for guards. He found his sword, but, as luck would have it, it had been on the table Arthur had knocked over during his angry rampage, and now lay across the room from the prince, and the guards his father had summoned stood between him and his best weapon.

As the prince was defenseless, the guards were easily able to follow Uther's orders to pull the two men apart so he could dole out his punishment.

"How dare you." The angry king shouted at the servant. "How could you even think of taking advantage of my son like that" he continued, ignoring the protestations of his son across the room, he chose to remain focused on the dark haired servant, until he heard his son say that he loved him.

Loved him? Uther thought.

That couldn't be right.

Uther Pendragon's son could not love a lowly servant.

A lowly _male_ servant.

But Arthur continued to yell the sentence over and over, as the guards restraining him were forced to call for back up against the prince's desperate attempts to reach his manservant.

Uther slowly turned to face his son, as things began to click in his brain.

"This is why you are so opposed to marriage is it? Because of this thing?" Uther hissed at his son, gesturing at Merlin with the last word.

"Yes father, I am unwilling to marry as I know my heart will always belong to another. I only hope you can accept how important Merlin is to me."

"This is not possible," the irate king muttered "there is no way this is actually happening."

"No father" Arthur replied, "this is real. Nothing for me has ever been more real. I love Merlin. Please understand that."

"NO ARTHUR! You cannot love a man! You must marry a royal WOMAN so we can continue our reign! I will not accept this. The boy will be executed at dawn."

"PLEASE, NO, FATHER LISTEN TO ME, YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO MERLIN! PLEASE, I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU SAY, JUST DON'T HURT HIM!"

Arthur's desperate pleas stopped his father on his way out the door. He turned back to his son, his features still twisted in disgust, but there was something else taking place beneath the cold eyes. Uther was planning, which could mean nothing good for the star crossed lovers.

"Take it," Uther order the guards holding Merlin, "to the dungeons. I will be there shortly to deal with him, but first I need to talk to the prince, alone. And Arthur, when the guards let you go, you will remain still. If you follow your manservant, I will make sure that its life is a short and painful one."

Arthur nodded silently in defeat. Then, as the guards dropped him and began pulling Merlin out of the room, he glanced up, eyes not leaving the face of his perfect love until the door was slammed shut and he was left alone with his father.

Merlin couldn't believe this was happening. He refused to believe his time with Arthur could have ended so harshly. But, as he was dragged down through the castle he couldn't get Arthur's defeated form and the desperate look in his eyes as Merlin had left the room from his mind. Arthur was always so strong, if he had given up, then there probably was no way out of this. He was almost glad when he was pushed into a small cell, and left alone on the floor. At least now he could try and figure out what was happening. Because there was no way that this was real.

As soon as the guards had closed the door, leaving Arthur behind with his father, Uther had returned his angry glare to his son. Arthur had moved to his bed, and was sitting with his head in his hands. Pathetic, Uther thought. He could not believe the son he had watched fight in so many tournaments could be defeated so easily by a mere servant. Well, Uther was going to make the best out of this situation. If he couldn't have the perfect son, maybe he could at least gain a perfect daughter in law.

"Arthur" Uther said, his tone beginning to relax now that the hated servant was far from the room, "I am willing to spare his life, if you will do as I say."

Arthur glanced up at his father, as if trying to guess whether or not this was some kind of trick. After a few seconds the prince whispered "I will do whatever you wish father, just please, please don't hurt Merlin."

"Alright. Then, as we figure out how this is going to work, the servant will be kept in the dungeons. You will play my perfect son, and when the Lady Carina arrives you will make every effort to ensure that she feels most welcomed here. If, for any reason I believe that you are not making your best efforts towards wooing the Lady, your manservant will be punished. You are not allowed to see him, and you shall remain in the castle until I order you otherwise. Do you understand?"

Arthur nodded slowly. He hated what his father was doing, but for now accepting this proposition seemed to be the only way to get both him and Merlin through the day alive. He would fix this, that was certain, but for now this was the best he could do.

"Good. I'm glad you understand. I am king, and even though you are my son, you are also my subject, and you will do as I say. Now you shall remain here for the rest of the day. There will be guards outside your chambers, so don't think about trying to leave. I want you to stay here and reflect on what it means to be my son while I deal with this servant."

Arthur remained frozen through much of this speech. It wasn't until the king mentioned "this servant" that he showed any signs of even hearing what his father was saying. Slowly, he turned his head back towards his father and asked "What do you mean, deal with? You're not going to harm him, right?"

"Arthur, he disobeyed his king, and he does not have the protection of a title as you do. He will not die, but he will be punished for this. I think a good flogging will do the trick."

Arthur could not hold back the look of disgust as he heard his father talk about torture with a smile on his face. He could not believe that he was related to this horrid monster. But, he knew that yelling insults at the king would only risk further injury to his servant, so he remained calm as he implored, "Father, your locking him in a dungeon, isn't that punishment enough? It was my mistake, not his, please reconsider this added punishment." Arthur finished, trying to hold back the desire to run to wherever Merlin was to protect him from this madman.

Uther watched his son as he pleaded for the safety of his manservant, and could hardly believe how far he had fallen from the perfect prince he had been before he had appointed Merlin as his manservant. The king could hardly believe that he had ever let that skinny, worthless boy enter into his service. Seeing his son so broken only increased his anger at the raven haired serving boy, as he responded to his son's pleas, saying, "No, Arthur, he must be punished. Locking him in the dungeons is punishment for you, the flogging will teach him that I am in charge, that I am king, and that he should never have believed he could take you from me. Seeing you like this only further enforces the knowledge that he has corrupted you. I can only hope that by taking him away you will be able to see the extent in which he has altered you from the prince you were meant to be."

And with that, Uther stormed from the room, knowing the only thing that could calm his nerves was the pain of a certain ex-servant.


	4. Chapter 4: Punishments

**AN: Ok, so I didn't wait a few days, but I did manage to get through one. I am going to run out of completed chapters soon. But that's not important. At least not right now. First, I want to apologize. I have no knowledge of torture and medical-ness so if stuff in this chapter is extremely wrong, I'm sorry. If you know, and would like to tell me, I would love a review! Sorry, I'm going to beg a little here. Even though I promised myself I wouldn't do this. I really like this chapter, and I would love to hear what you guys think about it. Now I know that you are all brilliant, wonderful people who have much better ways to spend your time, but if you could just take a couple of minutes to send me a review, I would love you forever. Umm, ok. There is a little bit of whump in this chapter. Nothing too graphic, but a little. Just a warning. And, as always, thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and whatever else. The fact that you are reading this makes me incredibly happy. Yes, you.**

**I don't own Merlin. At all. **

Chapter 4: Punishments

Merlin had no idea how long he had been sitting on the floor of his cold cell. His mind was numb, not willing to think at all about what had happened this morning. So much had changed in so little time. But he refused to think about it. It was almost as if he believed that only by thinking about his situation would it become real. As long as he pretended that nothing was wrong, everything would be fine.

But it wasn't.

Everything was far from fine.

Merlin barely acknowledged the presence of the king as he stormed into the dungeon, marching up to the door of the only occupied cell. He did not seem to hear the growl of "get up" that came from the frustrated father of his love. He just sat, in a practically catatonic state as the door to the cell was opened, allowing the king to approach the lost manservant, and kick him backwards as his order was repeated.

The kick snapped Merlin out of his reverie. He looked up at the king and tried not to think about whose father was standing above him, and instead focus on the desperate situation he was stuck in. He slowly moved to a standing position, keeping his eyes glued to the ground, afraid of looking up at the thunderous tyrant currently pacing the short width of his cell.

"My son" Uther spit out these words, as if he despised the thought that he was related to Arthur, "has pleaded for your life, and I have decided to oblige him."

Merlin could not believe it. Arthur had convinced the king not to kill him? How had that been possible? Uther never shifted his views, especially not when he was this angry. So, the former servant slowly lifted his eyes from the ground to the king, as a brief felling of hope entered him for the first time since he had been dragged from the room he shared with Arthur. He chanced a glance at the king, who had turned to face the door where two guards had been stationed. As if sensing the eyes of the young man shift towards him, Uther turned towards his prisoner, and continued speaking

"But, do not believe you will get out of this easily. You have committed a horrendous crime against the royal family. Your acts toward the prince were wrong and these acts shall be treated as treason. My son has attempted to convince me that he is the one responsible for this outrageous act, but I believe I have taught him better than this. So, I have decided that the best punishment for you is imprisonment for life and a flogging."

Merlin tried not to show his fear to the king. He stood as tall as he could and nodded briefly as the king explained his punishment to him. He would suffer for Arthur. He knew that he would not trade the past six months of his life for anything, even if it had led to a harsh, lonely life. But, he realized, a life in prison as ordered by the king, could only last as long as the current king was in charge. As soon as Arthur became king, he would be freed, unless Uther had removed Arthur as next in line for the throne. A sudden rush of fear for his prince flooded through the young warlock. If he was being flogged, what was happening to Arthur? Was he alright? He had to know. How had Arthur convinced Uther to spare his life? He hadn't done something stupid had he? The fear was too much, as he risked speaking for the first time since he promised Arthur that everything would be fine. His voice did not waver as he said, "I accept this punishment, but what about Arthur? Is he-"

Merlin was cut off as the king slapped him, his eyes glinting with madness.

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL HIM THAT!" Uther yelled. "DON'T YOU EVEN SPEAK ABOUT MY SON! YOU ARE NOT EVEN WORTHY TO CLEAN HIS BOOTS!"

Merlin slowly turned back towards the king as he felt a stinging in his cheek where the gloved hand had left a pink mark. He couldn't stand the way Uther was talking to him, and, no matter how strong a voice in his head was warning him against it, he replied with as much sarcasm he could muster, "Oh, I'm sorry sire, but _you_ did appoint me as his servant. Believe me; cleaning his boots was never something I wanted to achieve the honor to do, so it's really all thanks to you that I got to know your son better than you could ever hope to."

This statement pushed Uther over the edge. He grabbed Merlin's neck and pushed him up against the back wall of his cell. Merlin choked and struggled against the king as his back was raked against the wall until his feet barely touched the floor. He considered using his magic, but realized that would only make his situation a whole lot worse. He continued to fight as he felt the air drain from his body and black spots began to cloud his vision. As his arms began to drop to his side, Uther finally released him, and he collapsed at the feet of his captor, as he struggled to refill his lungs with the stale air that filled his cell.

Uther backed away from the gasping boy, not feeling any better than he had when he left his son's chambers. He coughed to get the attention of the oxygen deprived boy and he said, "Your flogging shall take place tomorrow morning. After that you will remain in this cell. I only came to inform you of your sentence. There will be no trial as I have seen your wickedness for myself. And NEVER speak of my son again."

With this Uther left his cell, and Merlin curled up, trying to stop the tears that rolled down his face as he was forced to bid goodbye to his perfect life.

No one in the castle slept well that night. Morgana and Guinevere had been unable to find either Merlin or Arthur, and, as they were not willing to approach Uther for information, they had not learned of their sad fate. Gaius had no idea his ward was spending his first of many nights in the dungeons, but had been alerted to the uncertain situation by a frightful Gwen and Morgana who had come to his chambers in their search for Merlin. Uther was still filled with anger at his son's actions, an anger that could only be matched by the anger his son was feeling towards his father for separating him and Merlin, as he spent the first night in quite a while without the warm body of his manservant at his side. Merlin stared out the small window at the stars, wishing he could still spend his nights in the comfort of his lover's bed.

And so, when the sun rose, none of the residents of the castle felt really rested.

Uther went to collect his son before heading down to the dungeons to witness the punishment of the former manservant. He ordered a few of the guards to follow him, knowing the two guards guarding the prince's door would likely be tired and would need help restraining the angry boy. Not that he could do anything. Uther held all the cards, and he knew the prince could not act against him without risking further injury to the servant.

When he arrived at his son's chambers, Uther was unsurprised to see that his son was already awake, staring out his window, lips pressed together into a thin line.

"What are you doing here, my lord?" Arthur asked in a monotone. The last two words were not lost on Uther. His son had never addressed him like that before. Well, that would have to be fixed before King Edmund came, Uther could not allow for any unwanted questions. But, for now, it was acceptable. At least Arthur recognized who held the power in their situation.

"You will accompany me to the dungeon,_ son_. I wish for you to see the punishment of your former servant. I believe that it will help teach you of the wrongness of your actions."

Arthur turned toward his father, and Uther got a good look at his son's face. There were no tear tracks running down his checks and his eyes were not filled with sadness, as they had been yesterday, just anger. Anger and hate at the one man who had taken away the very source of his happiness. He did not respond to his father's answer. Arthur seemed to realize that he had no choice, and anything he said would simply be used as an excuse to give his love harsher punishments. So he followed his father out of his room in silence.

When the royals and the escort of guards reached the cool dungeons, they did not enter the cells. Uther pulled his son aside before they entered the room used for interrogation of war prisoners. Uther had not wanted this to be a public affair, so he had chosen to punish the boy under the castle, where none but his select guards would be able to hear his screams. He need to make sure Arthur understood the situation before they entered the room that currently held the prisoner.

"You shall not speak, and if you do, each word you say will add a lash to his punishment. And you shall not attempt to approach him. I am trying to teach you Arthur, as soon as you realize your feelings for this monster are false, you will feel better."

Arthur did not respond to his father's orders. His eyes remained fixed on the door which he knew held his manservant.

When they entered, it took all of Arthur's will power not to run to his love, who was currently standing, shirtless, with his arms stretched above him and tied to the post used to keep criminals and enemies of the state standing during a whipping. It hurt the young prince so much, knowing his innocent, good, kind, manservant, who had risked his life for his kingdom was now standing in the same place as the people who tried to destroy what he had fought for. Nothing was right about this situation. If only his father could understand the love he felt for Merlin, but then he would not be Uther, who seemed to be taking sadistic pleasure in the look of horror plastered on his son's face.

The only other person in the room was the tall man holding the whip, waiting for the king's signal to begin. Arthur watched his love, who was standing tall, hiding any fear he felt. Uther was also watching the man who held the prince's heart, as he said, "It is time for the flogging. You will receive twenty lashes for you inappropriate actions towards the prince. Do you accept your punishment?"

Merlin, still facing away from the king, replied, "If it is a crime to love someone with all your heart, than yes, I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit. But, where I am from, love was never seen as a crime, but as something beautiful to be cherished and nurtured. I hope you learn to understand that, Uther, before you lose your son. He could still forgive you. Do not underestimate the importance of family and the power of love."

Uther glared at the pale back of the ex-manservant as he gave the order to the man holding whip to begin.

At first, Merlin tried not to show the pain he felt. He did not want the king to see how much each fall of the whip cut into his skin, and stung like nothing the young warlock had ever felt before. Soon he could feel the blood trickling down from previous strokes, and could not contain the moans and cries of pain that each strike caused. It was not until the seventh hit, which had felt so much harder than the rest as it landed across two older welts, that Merlin really screamed. This proved to be too much for Arthur. He could not contain the groans and hisses that now accompanied each cry from the boy hanging from the whipping post. Although he had refrained from speaking, his love had noticed the strange noises in the background, that could not have been made by the man who he guessed was relishing in the pain he was causing. No, those noises were definitely being made by someone who cared about Merlin. Someone young and male, by the sound of it.

Merlin now tried to turn his head, even though he was beginning to lose control of body due to the pain which had been inflected upon him. When his efforts proved unsuccessful, he did the last thing he could think of. After the twelfth blow fell, Merlin took the brief time it took for the torturer to pull back his hand to whisper the name of the man he cared for more than any other.

"Arthur?"

Arthur could not believe it. He wanted to shout out to his love that he was here. That he would protect him. That everything would be ok. But, the last two statements would be lies. And they would only anger his father further. Instead he collapsed to his knees, with his hand clamped over his mouth and tears streaming down his face, he watched as the large man finished whipping his defenseless manservant.

When the ordeal was finally over, and Merlin was cut down by one of the guards, Arthur could only watch as the exhausted body fell limply to the ground. Uther had kept a hand on his son's shoulder to keep him from rushing to help the bloody boy. But no one stopped the battered boy, who had used his limited freedom and remaining strength to turn to see who was behind him. It was at this moment that Merlin and Arthur's eyes met, and Merlin once again muttered his former master's name. Arthur was still afraid to reply, but he tried to force all the emotions he was currently feeling into his eyes. He tried to tell his love that he was so sorry he hadn't prevented this, that he hadn't protected Merlin from his own father. He tried to tell Merlin that he loved him, and that he would always love him, and that he would fix everything his father had done, as soon as he could figure out how. Merlin replied in a way Arthur had never expected. After being whipped, after feeling more pain than Arthur cared to think about, he smiled. Smiled at the son of the man who had caused him such pain. Smiled, like nothing was wrong. And Merlin smiled to tell the prince that he was worth it, and that he loved him more than anything.

And, even though tears were still streaming down his face, Arthur smiled back, because, damn, that smile was infectious.

Of course, Uther was not going to let this continue as he ordered guards to come drag the battered boy back to his cell. The king then pulled his son to his feet, and back to his chambers.

Arthur was still in a daze after seeing the smile on his love's face earlier, but he knew that he had to do something about those wounds. His father would not send Gaius down to see Merlin on his own, which could lead to the open wounds getting infected which could kill Merlin. He had to make his father see the importance of caring for his love.

"Father," Arthur began, deciding not to use his father's official title, as this might cause his anger to increase, "I know you don't want to hear this, but you're going to have to allow someone to care for the boy, if you don't he will die."

Uther remained silent. He had noted the way Arthur had referred to both himself and the former manservant. It seemed his display of power had had the desired effect, even if it did not end exactly as planned. He heard the truth in his son's words, and replied, "You are right, son. I will send Gaius to see him later today, after Gaius has finished his other duties."

Arthur wished he could convince Uther to send Gaius down sooner, but also knew that him sending Gaius at all was really all he could hope for.

So, before Uther went to dinner with his son and ward, he informed his physician of the patient waiting for him. He did not, however, tell Gaius the identity of this patient, only that he was to be kept alive, but preferably not out of pain. It was only when Gaius reached the dark dungeon, accompanied by two guards, one of whom was carrying a torch to help light the dim cell, that Gaius recognized the small frame and dark hair of the boy who he had come to care for as a son.

"Merlin, is that you?" Gaius whispered, hoping the boy was lucid enough to hear him.

"Gaius?" a week voice replied.

"Merlin, my boy, what did you do to get yourself down here? Oh, Merlin, how could he do this to you? Don't worry my boy, I will fix you, and I will get you out of here."

"Thanks Gaius, but I don't think there's too much of a chance with that second one. Uther is pretty angry. He said I would be down here for the rest of my life."

Gaius couldn't believe what he was hearing. The weak voice of the dark haired sorcerer had so little of the hope and happiness it usually contained. He began to busy himself with the multitude of injuries on the boys back, knowing that they had already been left open in these miserable conditions for far too long, and needed to be treated quickly before any infections could set in. As he cleaned each welt, he heard his ward hiss and groan slightly with the pain that had to accompany disinfection. Not wanting to further upset Merlin, or force him to waste too much energy with speaking, he refrained from asking questions until all the wounds were cared for. He then turned to the guards, and asked them for some food and water, as it seemed Merlin had not eaten for quite some time. His voice had also sounded very raw, indicating a lack of water, or a lot of screaming.

One of the guards left to ask the king what the prisoner was allowed, as the other moved towards the door, allowing the physician to lean closer to his ward and ask him the question he needed an answer to without being overheard.

"Does he know about your magic?" Gaius whispered, moving as close as possible to the injured boy.

"No." Merlin replied simply. Although Gaius was glad that Merlin's greatest secret was still safe, he was now even more confused as to why his poor ward was alone in some cell covered in scars that appeared to have been made by a whip.

A few minutes later, the guard returned with a small amount of water and some bread. Gaius thought it wasn't much, but took it without arguing and swearing to himself that he would bring better food down to his ward at the first chance he got. After helping Merlin with the water and bread Gaius' curiosity got the best of him.

"So, if Uther doesn't know" Gaius whispered, "why are you down here? What have you done that could make him so angry."

"Uther does not understand love." Merlin stated cryptically.

"What?"

It was then that the guard who had brought the food down interrupted the conversation saying, "The king wanted to be sure you left, once you were done treating the boy. The prisoner is not supposed to have contact with anyone without supervision of the king. You need to leave."

Gaius rose slowly, wishing he had the strength to fight this guard, leaving Merlin alone in a cell for the second night of his imprisonment.

As he reached the door, he heard the soft voice of his ward once more, saying,

"Goodbye Gaius, and thank you."


	5. Chapter 5: King Edmund and Lady Carina

**AN: Hello again! I waited longer to put this chapter up, which is probably good, as chapter eight is going really slowly. I didn't realize this till now, so sorry about the earlier chapters, but my page break things were not transferring when I uploaded chapters, so this one actually has cuts in between scenes. Sorry the others don't. Oh, and all three of my OC show up in this chapter. Remember, this is my first fanfiction, so first OC, I would love to get some opinions about them. I'm still begging for reviews. Whoops. Anyhoo (I really like that word, in case you haven't noticed, but don't really know how to spell it. Any suggestions?) on with the story.**

**I OWN MERLIN! april fools, I don't. God, that was bad.**

Chapter 5: King Edmond and Lady Carina

Arthur stood by his father, waiting for the guests to arrive.

It had been two days since he had seen Merlin, and he couldn't stop worrying about him. He had talked to Gaius once his father let him wander the castle alone, but he had little to tell. Gaius had also been wary around the prince until Arthur fully explained what had happened, which had worried the prince, as it meant Merlin had not been able to tell Gaius himself, for whatever reason.

His father had appointed a timid looking boy to take Merlin's place as his manservant. Arthur mostly tried to ignore him, but, unfortunately, he seemed to have been ordered not to leave the prince's side. So Arthur was forced to watch this living reminder of Merlin's absence everywhere he went. The prince was fairly certain that this had been ordered by the king, and that his new manservant was likely reporting all his actions to his father, limiting Arthur's freedom even more.

Uther had been quite busy instructing Arthur for the past couple of days. He had pulled the young prince aside this morning after the scouts had alerted the royals to the proximity of the approaching party, and warned, "You will be on your best behavior today, right, my son? Remember everything that I have told you, and your manservant will be given food and water. I will even allow Gaius in to check on his wounds. Displease me in any way, or show any rudeness to our new guests, and he will lose these accommodations. Say anything that alerts them of our current situation, and the boy will have to recover not just from whip wounds, but from a beating from the guards as well. Do you understand?".

Arthur had nodded, grinding his teeth together and refusing to look his father in the eyes. He hated him so much, but he couldn't stop thinking of what Merlin had said to his father before his flogging.

"_I hope you learn to understand that, Uther, before you lose your son. He could still forgive you, do not underestimate the importance of family and the power of love."_

Did Merlin really believe he could forgive his father if he ended this madness now? And what did he mean when he said the importance of family? He had thought about how Merlin had never known who his father was, and he wondered if that made this so much more personal to him. Knowing that Merlin wanted him to forgive his father just reminded him even more of how much love and kindness Merlin could show. And it made him wish more than anything that it was still Merlin standing behind him, waiting for the other royals, not some strange child who was only there because of his father's bullying.

So, Arthur reflected on the last words he had heard his love speak for the millionth time as the trumpeters announced the arrival of the carriage to the castle doors.

King Edmund was not built like Arthur and Uther. He was tall, but slim. He was wearing dark blue robes, hemmed with a rope pattern of twisted black and gold strands. He had greasy dark hair, that fell down to his shoulders and looked as if it hadn't been well washed since before Arthur was born. His eyes were a dark brown, so dark that they almost appeared black, contrasting greatly with his almost sickly yellow skin. Arthur, however, was not focusing on the king, but on the woman who had exited the carriage behind him. Lady Carina did not look much like her father. They had the same complexion, and her eyes were a slightly brighter brown, but she had bright blonde hair that, luckily, was in much better condition than her father's. She was wearing a yellow-orange dress that had been adorned with many pink bows. Arthur wondered what type of dye could have possibly been used to make something so horrendously pink. So, this was the woman he was supposed to court. Well, if it guaranteed Merlin's safety, he would court a troll, which, might have been preferable to the Lady Carina.

"King Edmund," Uther bellowed, "It has been too long. And I see your daughter is looking lovely as ever. Wouldn't you agree, Arthur?"

Arthur could hear the small threat in his father's voice as he walked forward towards the lady and said, "She is more beautiful than any flower." trying to hide any contempt or sarcasm from voice, and bent down to kiss the lady's hand. She merely stared at him as if he would be something yummy to eat, a strange smile pulling across her face, causing Arthur to force back the desire to run from this strange woman.

King Edmund had watched this whole scene with a look of boredom. He then walked over to Uther, and the two kings shook hands and began to head into the castle. Offering his arm to Carina, Arthur asked, "Shall we join our fathers in the throne room? Or, would you perhaps like a personalized tour of the castle grounds? I am yours to command my Lady." The prince's eyes kept flickering from the woman in front of him to his father's retreating figure, watching for some single of any extra orders he should follow. When he saw none, he returned his focus to the answering Lady.

"Neither, I think. I am most tired from the carriage ride. Take me to my chambers so I may rest."

"Of course" Arthur replied, offering a hand, expecting to receive a hand in return. So he was quite surprised when one of the Lady's servants dropped a heavy suitcase onto his unprepared arm. Slightly mortified that the Lady had him doing servant's work, but not wanting to upset the girl and have her run to her father, He took the heavy bag and began leading the way up to the guest chambers.

* * *

><p>When they arrived at the guest chambers Arthur quickly put the suitcase down next to the bed, and began edging slowly towards the door, before it was unexpectedly slammed by Carina.<p>

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing, Pendragon." She said in her high, slightly nasally voice, "I have already seen two other princes who would give much for my hand. And although they don't really compare in looks, they were both very wealthy, and one was quite a bit taller than you. I know that I am very beautiful, so you will have to prove yourself better than them, if you wish to stand a chance with me."

Arthur could barely keep his jaw from dropping as the strange woman told him this. He couldn't believe his father expected him to marry such a vain creature. But he was doing it for Merlin. As long as he focused on that, maybe he could get through this.

"I am sorry for my lack of height, but I can promise you that I will try in every way to make you as happy and comfortable here as I possibly can. And, if you are worried about financial security, I promise you that the coffers of Camelot will not run dry anytime soon. Even though I realize that you could have any man you would so choose, I will continue to try to show you why I would be a good…" he hesitated slightly, this is for Merlin, Arthur thought. For Merlin. Just don't think about what you are saying. It's for Merlin. Think about his smile. And, taking a deep breath, continued, "husband. I can only hope that in the time you remain in Camelot you will come to see this, and let your heart decide who you wish to spend the rest of your life with."

The Lady Carina stared at Arthur as if evaluating him and finding him, maybe not displeasing, but quite different from anything she had encountered before. She nodded slightly and said "We shall see…" before heading over and starting to unpack. Taking this as a sign he could leave the girl's room, Arthur made a beeline for the door. As Carina made no attempt to stop him on his way out, Arthur was able to escape into the safety of the hallway. The empty hallway. Apparently in his time with Carina he had somehow managed to loss his new manservant, giving him the freedom he had not had since the boy had become his living shadow. He used this opportunity to run to see Gaius, thinking this would be the best way to get a message to Merlin.

When he rushed into the physician's chambers, Arthur found the old man sitting at his table, looking quite worried and much older than he had been when Merlin was living in the small room in the back of his chambers.

"Gaius" Arthur said, in an attempt to gain the physicians attention.

"Arthur! What are you doing here, is everything alright, do you need something, my lord?" The physician said as he began to grab for potions, in a sad attempt to look busy.

"No, Gaius, it's about Merlin."

Gaius remained silent but seemed to perk up at the mention of his ward's name.

"I expect the king will allow you to treat his wounds again today, and I was wondering if you could bring a message to him from me, seeing how I am not allowed to see him."

Gaius looked up at the prince, and saw the desperation in his eyes. Even though part of him blamed the young royal for his surrogate son's current situation, a larger part of him new that Merlin had truly loved the prince, and would not want him to blame Arthur for his situation. And the pleading look in Arthur's eyes made him feel so sorry for the boy who he had treated since he was born.

"Of course I will, Sire." Gaius responded, causing a wave of relief to wash over Arthur, "If I get the opportunity I will speak to Merlin for you. What message do you wish for me to pass on?"

"Tell him; oh I don't know Gaius, tell him that I am doing everything in my power to keep him safe. And that I love him more than anything. And that nothing will ever change that. And tell him I am so sorry. So sorry that I couldn't have been born some poor peasant and we could have had a life together without a power hungry king forcing us apart."

Gaius heard the truth in the prince's words and wished he could bring the two lovers back together. He had seen a change in his ward over the past six months, and had new that it was caused by the newfound closeness of the prince and servant. So, even though it meant he saw much less of Merlin, he was happier than he had been for quite some time. So, to see the two broken halves of the once perfect coin, made him angrier at the king than he had been for quite some time (although the situation with the witchfinder had come pretty close).

"I should probably head back to my room before anyone gets suspicious. Thank you so much Gaius, you don't know how much this means to me."

And, with that, the prince hurried out of the physician's chambers, leaving a desolate Gaius alone again to ponder the hopeless situation they had been faced with once more.

* * *

><p>Timothy, the boy who had been appointed by Uther to spy on his son while acting as the Arthur's manservant had failed. He has lost the prince. Uther was going to kill him! In the excitement of the arriving royals the boy had figured Arthur would follow his father to the throne room. So, when he arrived at the throne room to see it devoid of a golden haired prince, he began to panic. He had ran up to the prince's chambers, to find them similarly Arthur-less. He ran through the castle corridors, but caught no sight of the bright red of Arthur's cloak. He has to tell Uther. But, than the king would know he had failed! He ran back out to the courtyard, and tried desperately to think of where the prince could have been. He decided to check a few more places before admitting his mistake to the king.<p>

The prince was not near the kitchens. He was not in the Lady Morgana's chambers. Nor was he in the training grounds, or the armory. Realizing the longer he went without knowing what the prince was doing, the worse it would be for him, the Timothy made his way back to the throne room, preparing to face King Uther's rage.

When the door to the throne room was opened, Uther looked up in confusion. When the boy he had appointed to watch his son walked in, looking terrified, Uther felt rage fill him. He had been sure his son would have headed the warning he had given him this morning, but apparently his son had not understood how serious the king had been. He briefly excused himself from King Edmund's side, and walked over to the trembling boy.

"Why are you not with my son" Uther whispered

Timothy looked up at the king and replied, "I-I d-d-don't know w-where he is, S-S-Sire. I thought h-he f-followed you h-here, b-b-but he didn't."

"Do you mean to tell me," Uther hissed, "that my son has been unsupervised since I left the courtyard?"

Timothy could not muster the courage to respond to the king, so he silently nodded, keeping his eyes focused on his feet.

"YOU IDIOT!" Uther yelled. Then, remembering who else was in the room, he composed himself and turned to his guest and said, "I am sorry Edmund, but a personal matter has arisen, I must see to it but it shall not take long. I will return briefly."

"It is no problem." The foreign king replied. "You wouldn't require my assistance in any way, would you my friend?"

"NO!" Uther shouted, and then, gaining control over his raging temper said to the smirking Edmund, "No, it is nothing to worry about. You should not be bothered by such trivial matters, I will return shortly." And, with that, Uther dragged the young serving boy out into the hall, leaving the other king alone in the throne room.

Uther had not noticed the glint in Edmond's eyes, as he gauged Uther's reactions, and began to wonder what really was going on in Camelot. Nothing interested King Edmund more than scandal within royal families.

* * *

><p>The luck that seemed to have deserted Arthur for the past few days had blessed the young prince once more. He had made it back to his chambers mere minutes before an irate Uther, dragging the boy he had mentally dubbed his "living shadow" burst through the doors. Seeing his son sitting by the window caused Uther to stop in his tracks, and turn his rage back to the boy.<p>

"You didn't think to look in his chambers?" Uther hissed at the boy, who had dissolved into a terrified mess, and looked as if he could barely hold himself up.

"Father," Arthur's voice sounded, "I did just return to my chambers. I was showing Lady Carina her room. She wished to talk to me, so I remained there briefly before return to my own chambers. She wanted it to be a private conversation. It is not my servant's fault that I was not here, although I don't see why you have chosen to make such a big deal out of it."

Uther stared at his son with a look of disbelief. Had his son, with his unsupervised time, really worked to further the king's agenda? Maybe Arthur really was beginning to understand the responsibilities that came with being a prince. Still, he was concerned that his son had lied to him, and had really been trying to find a way to get to the prisoner.

"Would the Lady Carina confirm this? You're not lying to me, are you Arthur?"

"No Father," Arthur replied, "I understand the consequences involved with lying to you. I do believe that the Lady Carina would tell you I had been in her room, although I do not believe she would react well to being disturbed. She wanted to rest after the long carriage ride. I hope that I made a good impression on her, but she does know that I am trying to win her hand. Apparently I am not the only one father, but I am the most handsome." Arthur stated with a hint of sarcasm, remembering the lady's words, "Did you know King Edmund was showing his daughter to other men?"

Again, Uther had no idea whether or not to believe his son's words. They seemed honest enough, and he had been aware that King Edmund and his daughter had recently visited two other noble families, having just heard about these travels from Edmund, but something seemed off. How could his son have become so willing to obey his orders in such a short time?

"Alright Arthur, I will trust you. But if I find out you have been lying to me, I will not hesitate to take it out on the prisoner. If you are lying, and you tell me now, his punishment will not be as harsh."

The entire room was silent except for the sniffling of the confused servant as the father and son locked gazes, neither willing to look away and admit defeat. Arthur had told the truth, well mostly, and he knew Gaius would never betray Merlin, so he felt that he had nothing to fear from his father's searching stare. After what felt like ages to the poor Timothy, Uther turned from his son and said, "Very well. Because you have followed my instructions well so far I will send Gaius down to check on the prisoner. If you keep up this behavior through the welcoming celebration tonight, I will send food and water down, just as I promised. Now, do not wander off from your new servant, he was quite frightened."

With that Uther turned and left Arthur's chambers and head back down to rejoin Kind Edmund.

* * *

><p>When the guards entered Gaius' chambers and told him to prepare his things, Gaius jumped to follow them. He did not want to put any suspicions on the prince, who it seemed was not supposed to have informed him of the possibility that he would get to visit his ward today, but it was difficult to contain his eagerness.<p>

He had already prepared most of the supplies he would need to treat Merlin's wounds, and had also hidden an apple, some bread, and a small flask of water in his medicine bag. He had sworn he would bring his ward food and water if he got the chance, and it had taken two days for him to get an opportunity, but now that he had one nothing was going to stop him from helping Merlin as much as he could.

As the physician and his escort reached the dank dungeon, Gaius saw Merlin standing, on tiptoes, trying to look out of the small window in the corner of his cell. The elderly man thought that stretching like that couldn't possibly be good for his wounds, but he could understand the need for fresh air.

Gaius had not expected the change that had come over his ward since the last time he had seen him. He looked more like his old self, but some of the light that was normally in his eyes had still not returned.

"Gaius!" the young man said as he noticed the approach of the physician, "What are you doing here?"

His question had not been angry, but the tone of his voice made Gaius feel that Merlin did not want Gaius to see him, as if he were ashamed of his current situation.

"The king has allowed me to take a look at your wounds once more Merlin, now please remove your shirt and lie down so I can check the bandages."

Merlin silently complied, wondering why the king was allowing him such a kindness. He pondered this as Gaius re-wrapped his wounds, trying his best not to show the pain he felt as the welts were exposed to the air once more.

Gaius was very grateful that the king had let him care for the wounds so soon after they had been inflicted. None of the welts appeared to be infected, and they were all healing rather quickly for the conditions. Gaius reasoned this was probably due to Merlin's gift, making the healing process much faster.

Once the physician had finished treating the wounds he tried to appear busy so as not to get booted out by the guards as he approached the boy's head so they could talk without being overheard.

"Arthur asked me to pass a message to you, Merlin." The old man whispered. This statement caused the young man to perk up, and he turned his head to Gaius, his large blue eyes appearing even larger as he waited for the news.

"He says that he is doing everything he can to keep you safe, and that he loves you more than anything. He also said he was sorry." With this Gaius paused, causing Merlin to ask, "Sorry, for what? He knows that this isn't his fault, right Gaius?"

With a deep breath Gaius continued, "He said that he is sorry that he wasn't born a peasant, because than you could have had a life together."

Merlin turned his head from his mentor. He had to close his eyes to keep the tears from spilling forth. He could barely believe it had only been two days since he had seen Arthur, it felt like two years. But, realizing he probably wouldn't have much time before Gaius had to leave, he took a deep breath and turned back to the elderly physician and said, "Thank you so much for telling me this, do you think you could take a message back to the prince, from me?"

"Of course, my boy, what would you like him to know?"

"Say that I love him, and that this isn't his fault. And that I trust him and will wait for him forever, and that it would be worth every second. And tell him not to be a prat, cause even without me he's going to be the best king Camelot has ever seen."

Gaius nodded, memorizing the words of his ward. The guards outside were beginning to act uncomfortable, as if they were aware that this appointment was taking much longer than it should. Gaius quickly reached back into his sack and pulled out the apple, bread and water, and handed them quickly to Merlin, trying not to let the guards see the illicit transfer of sustenance. Merlin looked at Gaius thankfully, and quickly asked, "I know you have to leave soon, but can you tell me what's happening up there? Why am I not dead? What did Arthur do to convince Uther to not kill me? Is everyone all right?"

Gaius tried to answer his questions as quickly as possible, starting with the one that seemed the most important to his ward, "Everyone is fine, don't worry. Arthur apparently promised his father that he would do whatever he asked if you were spared. Uther has taken this as an opportunity to force his son into a marriage with the visiting Lady Carina who arrived earlier today. Arthur has been forbidden from visiting you, and his new manservant" Gaius saw Merlin flinch when he mentioned the filling of his old job, "reports directly to the king and has been ordered not to leave the prince's side. But believe me Merlin, Arthur and I will do everything in our power to get you out of here."

"Do you think I should, you know, magic myself out?"

"No, Merlin. Then the king would not hesitate to have you killed. I know it will be difficult for you, but I think our best option for now is to wait, and hope things turn out for the best."

The guards, having decided the elderly physician had had enough time to heal the prisoner, opened the door to the cell and informed the two inside that their time was up. Gaius got up to leave, bringing his bag with him and headed for the door. He stopped when he heard Merlin say, "Thank you Gaius, for everything. And I trust in you and…" Merlin paused, not sure he should say Arthur's name with the guards so close, "and my destiny. I am certain that everything will work out for the best."

And with that, Gaius' surrogate son returned his gaze to the small window in near the top of his cell. As Gaius walked back to his chambers, he could not help but think about how much more hope had been in Merlin's voice when he left compared to the first time he treated him for the whip wounds.


	6. Chapter 6: Missing You

**AN: Good news, everybody! I finally finished draft one of chapter 8! Which is the longest chapter so far and was kind of a bitch to write. But, now I'm on to chapter 9! And, it is starting out to be equally challenging, but I think it will get better. Not that this is relevant at all to chapter six, I'm just so happy that I finished it.**

**So, chapter six. Yes, this chapter is named after a song from A Very Potter Musical. speaking of which, is anyone else SUPER excited for Holy Musical! Bman? Cause I am. So much**

**Still not talking about chapter six. Guess there is not to much to say about it. Just another chapter. But besides that, thanks for the reviews, favorites, and alerts! I still love you all. You make my days so much brighter. And I will love hearing from you no matter what you have to say. **

**Still do not own Merlin. I do have a mini Merlin collection, though. It is pretty awesome.**

Chapter 6: Missing You

Arthur had had to pick his new manservant off the ground after his father had left. Even though he still felt some bitterness for the boy (he had taken Merlin's spot) he also realized that it wasn't his fault, and that he didn't deserve to suffer for it. He took him over to his table, and sat him down.

"It's alright, umm sorry, what was your name?"

The boy looked up at the prince, confused at why the man who had not even seemed to acknowledge his existence was being so kind. He replied with his still shaking voice, "I-It's T-T-Timothy, Sire."

"Well, Timothy, don't worry. I won't hurt you. And neither will my father, if I have anything to say about it. I'm sorry. I've probably been a little cold towards you for the past couple days, you don't deserve it. I'm guessing you've been employed by my father to watch me, so I'm sorry if I try to avoid you, but I also don't want you to be punished because of me. I would try avoiding king if I were you, but it might be a little too late for that. If he ever hurts you, please come to me. You shouldn't have been pulled into this, and I am sorry."

Timothy had stopped shaking and was watching the prince during his new master's speech. He was still terrified of the king, but he was beginning to feel bad for being part of the plan that was making the young prince suffer. He hadn't expected the prince to be so kind. He had expected him to be just like his father, and had feared the day that he found out who he really worked for. But now, he felt so much pity for the prince. He would have wanted to help the prince out if he wasn't so terrified of the king.

"Thank you, Sire" was all the confused manservant could mutter.

"Well, I guess I can't really dismiss you, seeing as you've been ordered to act as my father's guide to my every action, no offense, but I don't really need anything till I change for the welcoming feast. So, if there's anything you need to do, now would really be the time to do it. I promise I won't go anywhere."

With that, the blonde prince collapsed on the bed, and began staring at the ceiling. Unsure of what he should do, Timothy began straightening up the already unusually neat chambers (it was amazing how efficient a manservant could be when he wasn't constantly being pulled into kisses from his master), and getting his master's fancier clothes ready for the feast.

* * *

><p>Uther felt truly happy for the first time in quite a while at the feast that was being held to honor the arrival of the guests. Arthur had finally realized what his duty was, and had spent most of the evening trying to entertain the Lady Carina. She seemed to have some interest in his son, as her gaze had not left the young prince through most of the night, which could only be a good sign. Uther had been keeping a close eye on the two young royals, but had also been able to spend quite a bit of time talking to the foreign king. Uther thought how it was always nice to talk to someone worthy of his time. There were so few nobles in Camelot that actually came close to his status, having visiting royalty was always a pleasure.<p>

Arthur, on the other hand, was having a terrible night. He had been trying to engage Carina in conversation, but she usually only responded in single word answers. The only moments when he got more than two words from her at a time was when she complained about the food, the entertainment, the chairs, the service, the clothes of the other nobles (and how they were so "dreadfully out of fashion," Arthur had had to hide a laugh with a cough, this statement seemed a little rich coming from a girl wearing a bright pink dress with way too many purple and white ribbons that looked as if it contained enough fabric to cloth most of the people in the hall) and, had there been anything else? Oh yes. Apparently the air in Camelot was not "as fresh" as the air in her kingdom. All in all, Arthur was quite ecstatic when Uther finally announced the celebrations finished, allowing him to escape Carina's predatory gaze.

So, Arthur quickly bade Carina good night, offering a sweeping bow before heading out of the banquet chambers. When he reached his chambers, he quickly collapsed on his bed, so glad to be away from "crazy Carina" as he called her in his head. He had not had much peace before his father entered his chambers. Uther looked pleased, so Arthur was hopeful that he had played his part well enough to get Merlin at least some simple creature comforts.

"My son, I think you are finally beginning to comprehend the importance of our alliance with King Edmund. Your efforts at the banquet did not go unnoticed. I will have some of the scraps from the feast brought down to the prisoner, and I will make sure he is given plenty of water."

Although Arthur was glad Merlin would get some food, he couldn't help but frown when his father stressed the fact that it would only be the refuse that his love received. The same food that was usually given to his dogs. But, he tried to refrain himself from speaking against the king. He did not want to risk losing what he had worked so hard to gain.

* * *

><p>The next three days where some of the worst of Arthur's life. He spent most of his time with the Lady Carina, listening to her complain about nearly everything. He continued to play the perfect gentleman, but there had been quite a few moments where he had barely been able to restrain himself from dropping all pretenses and telling the woman exactly what he thought of her.<p>

The highlight of these three days was Arthur's brief encounter with Gaius. He had been walking back from showing Carina around the grounds. He was only accompanied by Timothy, as he had been splashed by a passing carriage when Carina had decided to use him as a shield against the spray, as she couldn't risk her clothes being muddied.

So he had been walking back to his chambers to change and have a bath when Gaius had approached him and handed him a small jar, saying it was a balm for sore muscles. Arthur was slightly befuddled by Gaius' actions, but he thanked the physician and saw that Gaius kept on looking at him, than at Timothy, than back to the jar, with a slight shake of his head. When a look of comprehension spread across the prince's face, Gaius turned and headed back to his chambers, allowing the prince to continue his own journey.

When he was sure Timothy was busy with the bath water, Arthur had opened the jar, and found that it was not filled with the usual mixes he received from the physician, but a small, folded piece of parchment. When he unfolded it he found the message Merlin had asked Gaius to pass to Arthur, with an added note that Gaius would do whatever possible to help the separated couple.

Arthur had felt such a rush of gratitude for the elderly physician. He had hidden the note in the cabinet by his bed. He hoped that Timothy had not been ordered by his father to search his things, as he could not bring himself to destroy the note. He wished that he had some way to reply to the message. To let Merlin know that he would not have to wait forever. That the moment he was king his first act would be to run down and free his love (his second, of course, would be to legalize magic), and that he would work tirelessly to find a way of getting him out sooner. So, he clung to that small piece of paper, and focused on that small glimmer of hope as he struggled through his confrontations with his father and the ridiculousness of Lady Carina.

Speaking of the lady, it was on his fourth day since he received the message from Gaius when he realized he could put up with her no longer.

They had been walking out in the forest, with Timothy and a few other servants, to have a picnic. This genius idea had been his father's, who obviously had no idea how much Carina detested the outdoors. Really, Carina seemed to detest everything besides her obscene dresses, but the outdoors held a position of even higher contempt in the young lady's mind.

Arthur tried to remain a gentleman throughout all her complaining, but he was beginning to lose his patience. And when she informed him that the dirt just seemed so "much more horrid" than it did was around her palace, he had almost lost it. But, what really sent Arthur over the edge was her treatment of servants. She looked at them as if they were not worthy to be breathing the same air as she was, and when she slapped the girl refilling their drinks for touching her dress Arthur lost it. He had to get as far away from the lady before he did something he would regret, or, well, something Uther would make him regret. So, while Carina continued on about the vast superiority of the servants in her palace, who apparently were punished most severely for their mistakes, Arthur groaned, trying to fake a stomach ache. When the lady continued talking, with only a brief glance in his direction during his first attempt at theatrics, he grabbed his stomach and doubled-over, telling Timothy that he felt very queasy and would need to go see Gaius. Asking the young girl who had been slapped earlier to accompany him and Timothy, Arthur apologized to Carina and headed back to the castle. Once inside, he quickly asked the girl if she was alright, and told her to take the rest of the day off. She thanked him and scurried off, leaving Timothy even more bewildered by the strange actions of the prince as they headed towards the physician's chambers.

Gaius had been fixing potions for the next day's rounds when the irate prince barged into his chambers, followed by the timid manservant who had replaced Merlin. When the prince told the physician he did not feel well, Gaius could tell he was lying. He wondered what the young prince was really doing in his chambers, but didn't ask him directly as he had no idea what the manservant would tell Uther if he did.

So, Gaius treated Arthur like a patient, asking him what was wrong while busying himself with potions, pretending to mix something for the prince. He eventually handed Arthur a vial he had filled with water, telling him to drink it and he would feel better. Arthur downed the "potion" while his mind continued spinning, trying to think of how to ask Gaius the questions he so needed to ask right now.

Arthur had questions for Gaius because he had realized that he couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take being forced to live a lie every second of the day. He couldn't take his father's constant threats and glares. So, even though he knew there would be such a great risk, he was going to see Merlin. He needed to talk to his love, even if there was nothing he could do to rescue him. After a few minutes trying to come up with ways of asking these questions without Timothy guessing his true intent, Arthur turned to Gaius, and said, "That balm you gave me a few days ago, it has worked wonders. I was curious, could you tell me where you got the ingredients so I might be able to fix it myself when I am away from the castle? If possible, I would like to gather some tonight."

This strange question took Gaius a few seconds to interpret. He knew the balm he had given Arthur had not been balm, but his note about Merlin. So if Arthur wanted to see where he got it from…

"I will tell you Arthur, but many of the herbs needed can only be found deep in the woods. It would be dangerous. Are you sure you can manage it without getting anyone hurt?"

"I know it will be dangerous Gaius, but I need to learn more about this balm. Please help me." Gaius couldn't help but notice the way the prince almost sounded like he was begging. And he knew how much this could benefit both the prince and his ward, so he decided that he would help, and not try to convince Arthur to abandon his plan. Plus, the prince could be stubborn. Even if Gaius tried to dissuade him he would probably attempt to see Merlin anyways, so he would give the prince his help if it meant a greater chance of success.

"Alright sire, is there anything else you require?"

"Yes, I have been having some trouble sleeping and recently heard of a substance that, when inhaled, causes the person to fall quickly into a deep sleep. I was wondering if you knew anything about such a substance, and if some could be delivered to my chambers today."

Gaius' eyes widened in recognition as he realized the young prince was planning on knocking out the guards with some type of gas. Although Gaius had not made any such gases since he helped a few of his friends escape the great purge, he felt confident that he should be able to make something to help the prince. He replied, "Of course, Sire, but it will take me some time. I will begin working straight away and take it to your chambers when finished. For it to work, you should only need to light the substance, and the smoke released should send you into a deep sleep."

With that, Gaius turned and, forgetting the potions he had been working on before the prince arrived, began to busy himself with the young noble's request. He heard Arthur call, "Thank you Gaius, you don't know how much this means to me." as he exited the physicians chambers, followed by a very confused servant.

When they reached Arthur's chambers, the prince informed his servant that the potions Gaius had given him was working, but he needed to rest for a while before rejoining the other nobles. So Arthur lay in bed, thinking of how wonderful it would be to see Merlin tonight!

* * *

><p>Dinner that night had been just like dinner for the past few nights, except Arthur was vaguely more cheerful with the thought of sneaking down to see Merlin soon. Gaius had brought in a smoke bomb while Arthur had still been "recuperating" in his room, so everything seemed set. He was nervous that something would go wrong, but he put the thought from his mind, knowing that he would probably go crazy if he was forced to spend any more time apart from his love,<p>

So, the two families ate, while Uther tried to push Arthur and Carina into a closer relationship and Edmund watched with calculating eyes. Uther was pleasantly surprised by his son's newfound happiness, believing it was due to his brilliant idea of taking the lady on a picnic. Timothy had not yet been able to inform the king of his master's strange behavior, leaving the Uther in a state of blissful ignorance.

When the meal was over, Uther walked his son up to his chambers, informing him of what his actions had earned for his servant. This had become something of a routine for the father and son, Arthur remaining silent while his father promised to send food and water to the boy locked below Camelot. When Arthur was finally alone in his chambers (Timothy had completed his duties, and had retreated to the antechambers outside Arthur's room) he waited. Waited for it to be late enough for him to sneak down to his love without being noticed by anyone.

Arthur had waited as long as he could, but he needed to get to Merlin. So, grabbing the smoke bomb Gaius had given him, he pulled on a shirt and an old blue cloak that hide his face, and snuck out of his chambers.

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to the future king, the castle was not as unaware as he believed it to be. The doors to the antechambers next to his room was opened a crack, and Timothy had seen the cloaked figure exit the prince's chambers. Timothy had been afraid that something was going to happen after the strange actions of the prince earlier in the day. He followed the figure down to the entrance of the dungeons, where he paused to drop the bomb down to where the guards were talking while watching the door that lead into the dungeons. A strange gas began to fill the chamber, causing the two guards to fall asleep at their posts. The cloaked figure waited a few minutes for the gas to clear slightly, and then headed down, finally reaching his destination. Timothy watched from the shadows as the golden-haired prince pulled back his hood and reached into the cell that held the raven-haired sorcerer.<p>

Timothy had seen enough. Although part of him felt terrible for what he was about to do, a bigger part of him was terrified of the king. The young servant ran up to the king's chambers and knocked on his door. At first there was no response, so he tried knocking harder, hoping the king would listen to him before tearing his head off.

Uther was not happy to be awoken in the middle of the night. He was even less happy when he found the boy appointed to serve his son standing nervously at his door.

"What is it?" The king grumbled.

"It's your son Sire; he's gone down to the dungeons"

"WHAT! Are you certain?" The king shouted; suddenly very glad the guest chambers were on the other side of the castle. When the young boy nodded, he growled and returned to his chambers to change quickly. He was not going to confront his son in his night clothes.

* * *

><p>When Arthur had reached the dungeons, he quickly ran to the only occupied cell, quietly calling Merlin's name. His love had been sleeping when he approached the cell, but rose quickly when his old master began calling his name. Merlin thought he must still have been dreaming when he saw the beautiful blue eyes of the prince staring back at him. He wandered over to the bars of his cell in a daze, still unable to believe that he was so close to the man of his dreams.<p>

"Arthur?" a soft voice asked, and grabbed a hold of the outstretched hand, praying that this was real.

"Yes, Merlin, it's me. Are you alright? God, I've missed you so much."

"You're really here aren't you? I'm fine Arthur, hell, now that you're here, I'm more than fine, I'm brilliant. What about you? What's this Lady Carina like?"

"Oh, god Merlin, let's not talk about that crazy woman. I'm pretty sure she's worse than that troll my father married. I haven't heard her say one nice thing since she got here. But, Merlin, it's worth it to know that you're ok."

"Arthur, you shouldn't have to do this. I wish I could help you. I miss you so much. I can't wait till your king."

Arthur smiled at his love, and replied teasingly, "That's treason, Merlin. You should be careful about what you say."

"Hmm, I guess you'll just have to punish me then, right sire?" And with that, He stuck his head through the bars, and pulled his prince into a deep kiss.

The two lovers remained locked together for a bliss filled moment, trying to get as close to each other as possible around the cursed bars. Eventually, they pulled apart, keeping their eyes locked together.

"God, I love you so much Arthur. But, how'd you get down here to see me? I'm guessing your father didn't allow this."

"Not exactly. Gaius helped me get past the guards. I just couldn't make it through another second without you Merlin. I didn't realize how hard it was going to be without you. I love you. I can't believe how many days I had to go without telling you that, I feel like I should make up for it now. I love you, Merlin and nothing is going to be able to keep us apart."

"I hope not, but your father has been doing quite a good job of trying. Don't do anything that will get yourself hurt though, alright? You know I won't be there to protect you. And don't change just because I'm not there to keep you in line. I don't want to have to deflate your ego again."

"You did not have to deflate my ego _Mer_-lin, I was perfectly fine before you came. In fact, with all your constant lying about the magical creatures I had slain, you've probably amplified my ego."

"Think I'm a bad influence, do you? You're beginning to sound like your father." Merlin said jokingly. "But seriously. Don't let this change you. I love you, and when I get out, I want to have my perfect prince just the way I left him."

And with that, Arthur pulled his love into a kiss once more. Grasping him though the bars, trying to get closer to him when Merlin let out a small gasp.

"What's wrong?" Arthur said quickly, stopping the kiss, but not moving away from the warlock.

"My back. Sorry Arthur, suppose I'm not quite totally healed yet. You'll just have to be careful about which parts of me you touch for a little while."

"I am going to murder my father for what he did to you! I am so sorry. I should have thought about what I was doing. You're injured! Ugh, Merlin why can't things just go back to the way they were before all this madness. I need you by my side." The last words the prince spoke were so desperate, so unlike the strong man Merlin knew Arthur to be. He needed his prince to be brave; otherwise he would never be able to protect himself from his own fears. Reaching through the bars, Merlin cupped Arthur's cheek in his palm and slowly brought the prince's vision back to his face as he said, "Arthur, even when we are apart, I will always be with you. And the second I think you really need me; it will take a lot more than a dungeon and some guards to keep me from you. But you don't need me like you think you do. You are so strong. I want to stand by your side for the rest of my life, but I know that even without me, you would be spectacular. No one can stop the good you will create, with or without me. So Arthur, do not give up. Be strong. Be courageous. In other words, be yourself. And, when the time is right, we will be together again."

With that, Merlin did his best to pull the prince into a hug. He wanted to blast away those stupid bars, but kept reminding himself what a bad idea that would be. So he continued to hug. He hugged the prince to hold him together, and to reinforce the truth that they would never really be apart.

He wished that that hug could have gone on forever.

Unfortunately, that could never happen.

Because, it was at this moment that Uther and Timothy reached the Dungeons.

And Uther found his son in the arms of a man for the second time.


	7. Chapter 7: Scars

**AN: Hey guys, so this might be the last chapter I put up for a while. I'm sorry. I have three papers (sort of) due monday, so my life is a little crazy right now. We don't really have school on tuesday, though, so I will try to get chapter eight up then. Sorry, I will try to do better. Nine should be up pretty quickly after eight. But that is about as far into the future as I can see at the moment. Chapter eight will also be the longest chapter so far. Umm, also this fic should be about sixteen chapters. Just to give you a prediction of how much more there will be. I am really not as upbeat as I usually am. Sorry about that as well. **

**But thanks for the reviews and favorites and alerts! I love all of you. :) You all make me feel so special.**

**Still don't own Merlin. **

Chapter 7: Scars

Uther was furious. Everything had been going so well. He had started to believe that Arthur really wanted the best for the kingdom, so seeing him back in the arms of Merlin was very upsetting to the monarch. He was beginning to wonder if his son would ever be able to take over the kingdom from him.

Arthur and Merlin jumped apart when the angry king made his presence known with a roar of the prince's name. Once the realized the futility of their situation, Arthur grabbed Merlin's hand, and then turned to face his father. Merlin was uneasy. Whatever happened next could not be good for the young warlock, but he did not let his fear show, so he squeezed his prince's hand, and turned to face the man he was no longer willing to call "king".

Uther ran and tried to pull Arthur away from the boy, but, as Arthur's other hand was currently clamped to the bars of the cell, he was having trouble. The young prince was much stronger than his father; thanks to the long hours of training he subjected himself to everyday. Giving up, Uther turned back to Timothy and order him to fetch the guards. As Timothy departed, the king turned back to his son, a look of disgust and rage on his face. Arthur met his gaze with one of determination and anger, trying to hide the strong fear that was raging through his mind. He should never have tried to visit Merlin. It was all his fault that they were in this situation, and he could do nothing about it except hope and pray that some miracle would stay his father's hand.

Unfortunately, it seemed that no one would answer the young prince's prayers as the king's anger burst out, yelling at his son, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING! WHY CAN'T YOU FORGET THIS THING?"

"Father, Merlin is not a thing," Arthur replied, trying to keep his voice calm. "He is a human, just like you and me. And I could never forget him. Even if I wanted to. You know why, father, it's because I love him. I would give anything for him. And you can't keep us apart, because no matter how much distance, how many walls separate us, we will always be together. Nothing you could possibly do can change that."

"No Arthur, I can separate you. Do you realize how easy it would be for me to kill him right now? The only thing that is stopping me is the idea that keeping him alive will keep you loyal to me. If this is not true, then I may as well kill him right now. There is no use in keeping this scum alive."

Arthur moved in between his father and Merlin, shielding his love with his body. He still tried to hide the fear from his eyes, as he replied to his father's threats, saying, "I may not be as loyal as you want me to be, father, but I can promise you one thing. If you kill him, I will leave this castle. You will have no heir. If you take his life, I will use the rest of _my_ life to fight against your corruption and hatred. Think about that father. Think about that and spare Merlin."

Uther stared at his son, weighing his words, trying to figure out how he could force his son back into his position, and get rid of the ex servant. He could think of no solution, but enjoyed thinking of gruesome ways to kill the boy. So, the two royals and the warlock waited in silence, until Timothy retuned with five of the king's personal guard.

The king pulled Timothy aside, and gave him an order that caused the young servant's eyes to grow wide, before he nodded, and ran off to follow the order.

Turning next to the guards, Uther ordered, "Take the prince up to his chambers and make sure he stays there. Remain with him until I arrive. Send more guards down here to help me deal with this monster."

It took all five guards to pull the prince away from his stance be the cell, leaving Merlin, hands reaching through the bars, trying to keep a hold of his love for as long as possible. Both lovers had forgotten about everything else as they were forced apart. At first his struggles seemed useless, but Arthur managed to break away from the guard by unexpectedly dropping to the ground then running back towards Merlin. He quickly pulled his love into a kiss, cupping the young warlock's cheeks in his palms, remaining as close as possible for an instant before the guards returned and pulled him away once more, dragging him back up the stairs and away from his love.

Uther watched the whole spectacle, body trembling with rage. Once his son was gone, he rushed to the cell and grabbed the prisoner's face, forcing his vision away from the door his beloved had just been pulled through and towards the livid king's face.

"What have you done to my son?" The king snarled, pushing the boy back into the cell.

When the boy raised his head, and his eyes locked with the kings, Uther had had to suppress a shiver. The icy cold eyes held none of the warmth they had when he had been his son's manservant.

"I see you did not take my advice, Uther. You obviously have not seen how strong our love is. And, because of that, you have lost your son."

"I did not lose my son, you took him from me! Don't you see that you're pulling our family apart?" Uther yelled, trying to hide his misery with loathing.

"All I have done is love your son. You pushed him away. I had nothing to do with that. It was your actions, and yours alone, that have caused this strife. If you could accept that he loves me, and I love him back, then we could work everything out. I hold no grudge Uther. All that I ask is that you open your eyes, and accept who your son is."

"He is a prince! And as a prince he has a duty to his kingdom! You could never understand what it means to be royalty!"

"No, maybe I don't, but I don't see why being king should force anyone to be unhappy."

"He would not have had to have been unhappy if you had not tricked him into thinking he was in love with you! But now, you will suffer for it. I will make sure that no one ever loves you again."

With that, Uther turned his back on the boy, who, no matter how hard he tried, could not suppress a shiver at the king's threat. The dungeons remained silent until three new guards entered into the dark prison.

Turning towards the guards, Uther ordered, "Blindfold and gag the prisoner. Tie his hands behind his back and then follow me and bring it with you."

One of the guards took the keys from the king's outstretched hand, while another went to get rope and material for the blindfold and gag. Merlin remained still as the three guards followed the king's instructions, not fighting against them, keeping his chin raised and his posture proud even when his voice was muffled and his eyesight lost.

The king led the guards and their prisoner up the stairs to his son's chamber. Merlin had barely managed to make it without falling, his natural clumsiness greatly amplified by the blindfold. There were quite a few times when the only thing that kept Merlin upright was the guard's grip on his arms. Uther stopped outside the doors, and grabbing the boy from his guards, ordered one of the guards to enter, and inform the guards inside that the prince was to be restrained and gagged.

When Merlin heard Uther mention "the prince," he cocked his head to one side and narrowed his eyebrows in confusion. These movements did not go unnoticed by Uther, who turned to the boy and said, "Yes, boy, Arthur will be watching your punishment. I want him to see what happens to those who steal from the king. And believe me, when I am done with you he won't want to touch you again. This is the last time you will ever be in this room, the last time you will be near "your love". You should be glad I am allowing this final reunion."

Again, Merlin failed to suppress a shudder as the king threatened him. A moment later, the door to the room was opened once again, and Merlin could hear a guard say the prince was ready, before he was pushed forward by the king. He tripped as he entered the room, falling flat on his face as his arms were unable to stop his descent. Before he could try to stand again, He felt the king's booted foot connect with his side. He curled into a ball as Uther continued to kick him, informing his son between kicks,

"This," (Merlin felt a kick to his stomach, followed by one to the back of his legs)

"is what happens" (the king had moved behind Merlin, and was currently stomping on his fingers)

"when you go against" (Merlin tried to scoot away, but was stopped by a boot that pressed into his stomach, and turned him onto his back)

"your king." With this final remark, the king brought his foot up from the young man's stomach, only to have it crash back down with a great force. Merlin was pretty sure at least one rib was broken, and that most of his fingers were currently quite useless. But his punishment was not over, not by a long shot. Uther reached down and pulled the boy up and pushed him against the table.

Arthur watched from a chair in the corner. He had been tied down, and the guards who had brought him to his room were still standing near him, one of him holding the back of the chair, so no matter how much he jumped or squirmed it would not move. All he could do was sit in silence and watch as his father beat the man he loved. He didn't understand how any action could deserve such punishment.

When his father had picked Merlin up off the ground and pushed him into a table Arthur had hoped things would get better. But, what happened next was beyond the scope of the prince.

"I am going to make sure that you never trick anyone again, boy. No one will be fooled by your innocent smile any longer; you won't be able to hide your true nature from anyone."

With this, Uther pulled a knife out and leaned over the bound warlock. Merlin could feel the king's hot breath on his cheek and tried to shrink back into the cold table. He felt his shirt pulled away from his chest, and heard the fabric ripped, leaving his abdomen exposed. The next thing Merlin felt was pain. Pain, as the king dragged a dagger along his body. He tried to scream, but his protestations were muffled by the gag.

Arthur watched as his father cut his love's shirt off with a long sharp dagger. His father turned to him, with the strangest look in his eyes. He was still furious, but Arthur could see something else in his eyes. It was almost as if Uther was pleading with him. Trying to convince Arthur that he was doing this for the prince, not for his own sick sense of right and wrong. Arthur shook his head at his father, wishing the gag was gone so he could plead with his father, beg him to stop. But nothing could stop the king, as he turned back to the now partially naked boy, and pierced his perfect, pale chest.

Arthur could not see exactly what his father was doing, but he could hear the muffled shouts of his love, as his father dragged the blade up and down against his chest. After what felt like an eternity for Merlin and Arthur, Uther returned the dagger to its sheath, and stood back to admire his work. He then turned to Timothy and nodded. The serving boy looked frightened as he pulled something out of the fire. Arthur's struggles stopped suddenly when he saw what his new manservant had handed to his father, only to return with more ferocity than before. The king accepted the now white hot brand from the servant as he approached the blinded prisoner. Merlin was already bruised and bloodied, tears had soaked through the blindfold, and he had thought that his ordeal was over, until he heard Uther order the guards to hold him down. He felt a strange heat above his stomach, before the brand was pressed into his skin, and agony rushed through his body. The closest he had felt to this was when Nimueh had hit him with a fireball, but at least then the heat had been gone quickly. This time, it remained as Uther pressed the brand hard into the exposed stomach of the warlock. When the king finally removed the scalding metal from the soft flesh of Merlin's stomach, Merlin could no longer move. He felt pain radiating from every part of his body, and just wished that the ordeal was over, and he could just return to his small, lonely cell and get away from this crazy man.

Uther handed the brand back to the shaking servant, happy with the work he had done on the prisoner's chest. He took a minute to catch his breath before finishing the punishment. Uther pushed Merlin's exhausted form from the table, letting him fall to the floor in a heap, unable to protect his injuries in any way as he was exhausted and still bound. Uther than reached down and pulled the boy up by his hair, turning him so his son could see what his handiwork.

Arthur felt like retching when he saw what his father had done to Merlin. The word "FREAK" was carved across his chest above the ugly burn that had been left by the brand used to mark all the horses that belonged to the royal family.

"Do you understand why you should have listened to me now, son?" Uther asked, shaking Merlin slightly, still holding him up by his hair as the prisoner no longer had the strength to support his own weight. "Do you see that this beast is not deserving of your love?"

Arthur could not reply, but he didn't think he would have trusted himself to speak to his father right now even if he could. So he simply closed his eyes, letting silent tears run down his face. Uther looked pleased as he ordered the guards to take the prisoner back to his cell and free the prince. The king than returned to his chambers to get a little sleep before he had to resume his efforts in joining his and Edmund's kingdoms through marriage.

As Arthur was freed and left in his chambers with Timothy, he realized something. He didn't care anymore. He didn't care what the consequences were; he was getting Merlin out of Camelot as soon as possible. And he was never going to leave his love alone again. All he had to do was figure out how to get them both out of the castle, and then he would be gone. He refused to spend any more time than absolutely necessary in the same building as the man who had done _that_ to Merlin.


	8. Chapter 8: An Unexpected Ally

**AN: Hey guys! Guess who just turned in three papers! WOOOOHOOOO! anyways, I has more writing time now, so here is chapter eight! To be completely honest, I don't know how I feel about this chapter. Merlin might be kinda OOC, cause he's a bit depressed. But he gets better! Arthur wouldn't let his Merlin-muffin mope for too long. And a lot of this is written from the perspective of my OC, so that was interesting. You know how I warned about homophobia, well, this is where that warning is super important. King Edmund is a douche bag. I had so much trouble writing that section. Hmmm... do I need to say anything else? Thanks for all the reviews/favorites/alerts/views/hits, you all are fabulous! I love you a lot. I will try to get nine up soon, but I am still writing it, so it might take a while. I am also really bad at writing fights, so that has been interesting. I hope you like Timothy in this chapter, cause I decided that I wanted him to be awesome. Last thing, I swear. This chapter is probably the longest chapter I will write. Just so you know.**

Chapter 8: An Unexpected Ally

Merlin was dragged to the dungeons. It wasn't that he was trying to get away; he just had no strength to walk, so his limp body had had to be dragged along the castle corridors back down to the dungeons. Luckily for Merlin, one of the guards took pity on him, and removed the ropes, gag, and blindfold before returning him to his cell. He wanted to curl up and sleep, but he had to assess the full extent of the damage Uther had done first. When he saw that the brutal red streaks across his chest formed the word FREAK, Merlin wished he had not looked down. He could hardly believe he had been so happy earlier that evening. It was over now, Uther was right, no one could ever love him again. He wondered how repulsed Arthur had been at the sight of his bloody chest. At least, by spending the rest of his life in this cell, very few people would get to see his disfigured form. With only these thoughts to keep him company, Merlin cried himself to sleep, finding peace in the darkness that engulfed him.

* * *

><p>King Edmund was very glad that he had not been able to sleep that night. He always had trouble sleeping in other castles; none of them could quite replicate the comfort and security of his own home. He had not expected to see the prince dragged into his room, struggling, pulled by a large group of guards. He had noticed there was something strange going on between the prince and the king, and was quite excited to finally get to the bottom of it. So, instead of continuing to wander the unfamiliar castle, Edmund found a dark corridor and hid, watching the prince's door silently.<p>

It had taken a while, but the king had entered his son's chambers, dragging a blindfolded and bound boy into the room. The king had paused outside the doors to speak to the boy. When he heard that the prince had wanted to "touch him" and when he called the prince the young boy's "love" Edmund realized what was going on. What he could not believe was that Uther had tried to get his daughter to marry his son, when he knew his son had been with a man. How could he even let the prince be around his lovely daughter? He should have him locked up, away from society. And why was the other boy still alive? Two men could not be in love. These acts would not be tolerated in his kingdom, and he had believed that Uther shared this intolerance. Edmund left the hallway fuming. He needed to get Carina out of this infected castle as soon as possible. He headed back to his temporary chambers, resolving to inform Uther of his treachery and leave once he could get both himself and Carina fully prepared for the long journey.

* * *

><p>Timothy could not believe what he had just seen. No crime warranted a punishment as cruel as the one Uther had inflicted upon the man whose job he had taken. He knew now, that no matter how terrifying the king was, he could be part of his plans no longer. Arthur seemed a good man, and the amount he was suffering due to the horrors they had both witnessed proved to him that Uther was the one at fault. He felt terrible for all the pain he had put both the prince and the prisoner though, and resolved that he was going to help fix this in any way possible.<p>

So, mustering up more courage than he knew he had, Timothy approached the sullen prince, and said, "I'm sorry my lord, it is my fault this has happened, but please, let me help you. This is wrong, I can see that now, and I will do whatever I can to make it right. Please sire, I ask not for forgiveness, but for a chance to right some of the wrongs I have committed."

When the prince looked up, his eyes had a determination Timothy had not expected. He flinched backwards as the prince spoke, his voice starting at a hiss and growing into a shout, "You told him, didn't you? You told the king I left my room. It's your fault! Your fault that Merlin had to suffer like that!"

As the prince yelled, the manservant noticed that there were still tears streaming down the prince's face. Timothy wished he could lie, could tell him that someone else had notified the king of his son's behavior, but he knew that this was not an option. He had to accept the consequences.

"Yes." Timothy whispered. "Yes, and I am so sorry. And I know that's not enough, and nothing will ever remove the horrors of what happened here. I cannot forgive myself for this, so I don't expect you to. But, please, let me try to help you. I will do whatever I can, I promise. I can lie to the king, send messages to Gaius, whatever you want, just please let me try to repent."

Timothy waited, hoping that the prince would trust him, that Arthur would see the truth in his words. After what felt like hours, Timothy slowly glanced up, meeting the gaze of the prince, who was staring at Timothy, looking uncertain about how to act. Once there gaze met, the prince stood up and slowly walked over to Timothy, showing little emotion. Part of the servant wanted to run. To leave the prince's chambers, hell, leave Camelot, and never think about what had happened again, but another, braver, part of him that he had not even known he had, told him to stay. That he deserved whatever punishment the prince saw fit. That the only way he could continue living after what he had seen would require him to put his life in the hands of the man in front of him.

He nearly jumped when Arthur placed his hands on his shoulders, holding him still while he glared at the servant through eyes that until recently had been filled with tears.

"Are you sure?" the prince asked him, "Are you sure you can betray your king? And how can I know that you won't run back to my father?"

With that the prince withdrew his hands from Timothy's shoulders, and began to pace his chambers. He continued to speak though, which the young manservant could only hope was a good sign.

"I can't let anything else happen to him. I need to get him out of here. And to do that I will need help. Anyone who does help me would be in danger, do you understand that? Do you understand the consequences of siding with me? Are you willing to risk the king's wrath to help me?"

"Yes!" Timothy responded, trying to sound as confident as possible, "Yes, Sire. He has threatened me before, but I cannot stand by while these injustices are committed. I hope you can put some faith in me, even though I have given you no reason to before. From what I have seen in the past few days you will be a better king than Uther could ever dream of being, and I would rather have your trust than his money. If you wish to get him out I could be helpful! The king believes me loyal to him still, but I give you my word that I will serve only you until you no longer require my services. I could never live with myself if I did not do something to try to help Merlin."

Merlin seemed to be the magic word. As soon as the name left his lips, the prince's cool expression broke and a small smile reached his face. But it quickly faded, replaced with a determined expression. The prince then guided Timothy over to his bed, eyes avoiding the table his father had used while torturing the prisoner.

"Thank you," The prince responded, "we will have to be very careful about how we do this. I think the sooner the better though, if we wait too long there is no telling what kind of state Merlin would be in. And we need to plan now. I have no doubt that the king will be keeping a close eye on me. There will be more than just you after tonight. But he will still want to keep appearances up as long as King Edmund is here. I say we try tomorrow night. During the day you can go down to Gaius' chambers, if anyone asks, tell them I sent you to get a balm for a 'skin irritation' on my wrists. Try to get Gaius alone. He can get you a sleeping draft. And he is trustworthy, I promise. Then, if I can get to the dungeons, Merlin can get us out. All we will need are horses. I don't want to ask too much of you. And I don't want to make the king suspicious of you. Do you know Morgana's maid, Guinevere?"

Timothy was overwhelmed by the suddenness of this plan. The prince was ready on such short notice, but then, there wasn't too much to the plan. Even though he was new to the higher position of prince's manservant, Timothy had been serving in the castle for quite some time, and there were few in the king's service who did not know of the kind girl who served the king's ward.

"I know who she is, Sire. We have not talked much."

"Good, she will help us as well, I am sure of it. If you can find her without arousing suspicion, tell her that the prince needs two horse prepared tonight. Hopefully, she will understand, and she will have the freedom to get to the stables that we will not. Now we just have to figure out how to keep you safe once I'm gone. You probably don't want to come with me and Merlin; you shouldn't be forced into hiding for helping me."

Timothy was shocked. After what he did? He asked, "Wait, you're worried about me, Sire? Aren't there more important things you should focus on? I will survive, you just help Merlin."

The prince smiled at this statement, and replied with a slow, comforting tone, "Timothy, I could never let you suffer for risking yourself to help me. Part of me hates you, more than you can imagine, but you also are giving me the chance to save the man I love. Without you this would probably be impossible. I am not going to repay you by letting Uther make you suffer. You are a citizen of Camelot, and therefore under the protection of me and my father. If he is not willing to perform that job, than I will do my best to do it for him. You will be safe. But, for that we will need to trick my father into believing you had nothing to do this. I'm sorry to suggest it, but it might be best if you take some of the sleeping draft as well, so it looks like I had to get passed you. Hopefully Uther will focus on your past loyalty, and you will go unpunished."

"Thank you, Sire" Timothy replied, now understanding just how worthy of his title Prince Arthur was.

"Good. Well, it is late, and tomorrow will be busy. Thank you for helping us, Timothy. It means more to me than anything. But, get some sleep. I will see you tomorrow."

With that, the manservant returned to his chambers, praying that the hastily thought out plan really could free the man who held the noble prince's heart.

* * *

><p>Arthur had tried to sleep. He really had. But all he could think about was Merlin, lying hurt in a prison cell deep below the castle. Arthur could not allow this to continue. He needed to get his love away from Camelot. At least now he wouldn't have to worry about his new servant spying on him. Guinevere and Gaius would help as well. Leon might be willing to aid his escape as well. Even though the knights had to swear their loyalty to Camelot, they trained with him, and were his knights. When it came down to it, he hoped that some of them would side with him over his father, especially the younger ones. Leon had proven himself an amazing knight and excellent friend on many occasions, and was one of the many people in the castle who held a soft spot for Merlin. Arthur was almost positive that Leon could be trusted with his plans, but knew there was little way for him to approach the knight without making his father suspicious.<p>

Arthur continued planning as the sun began to rise, so he was still awake when Timothy returned to his chambers to dress him. He smiled at the young boy who had decided to risk so much to help him, but kept quite as he contemplated how he could keep his father doubting his loyalties. A moment after Arthur had gotten fully dressed; there was a knock at his door. Timothy glanced at Arthur before going to answer the door. Outside two guards were waiting.

"The king has instructed us to bring you down to breakfast, Sire." The taller of the two guards stated.

Arthur nodded, still not saying a word, and followed the two guards out, gesturing for Timothy to come with him.

Breakfast was tense. The two visiting royals must have requested to have their meal brought to them, which left Arthur, Uther, and Morgana alone at the table. Arthur focused on his food, trying to keep his gaze away from the king. Arthur had very little appetite, but he told himself that he needed to eat. Trying to get Merlin out on an empty stomach and no sleep would be much more difficult than if he at least had energy from the gratuitous amounts of food served to the royal family.

After many uncomfortable minutes, Uther broke the silence, asking Arthur in a tone that betrayed no emotions, "So, son, what do you plan to do today?"

Arthur wondered if his father was mocking him, if somehow he already knew. He would have to be careful about how he replied. He could not risk a slip up, not now.

"I was thinking I might spend some time training the new knights." Arthur replied, trying to keep the anger he felt towards the man he had once called father from his voice, "I have been spending so much time with the Lady Carina, their training has gone unsupervised. I feel I have failed my duty to the kingdom and want to make it up. With your permission, I will train the knights in the morning, than see if the Lady wishes my company in the afternoon."

Arthur waited for the reply. He hoped Uther would not guess his true motives for wanting to train with the knights. It would be easy to get a message to Leon while sparring without his father's guards overhearing him. But would the king ever question the loyalty of the knights? Even if Arthur was almost positive Leon would side with him on this issue, the knight had sworn his allegiance to the king, not the prince. Arthur wished for Uther's acquiescence, going over what he had said and every possible reason his father would not allow the training silently.

"You have my permission, as long as you don't leave the training field." Uther answered at last. "I will send guards to accompany you throughout the day. After your actions last night, I do not want you unsupervised."

Arthur held back a grin of triumph, as he replied, "Of course, I understand. I shall go fetch my sword from my chambers and wait for my escort to arrive before I head down to the field. Thank you for the leniency you have shown me after my mistakes last night."

Uther simply nodded, as Arthur left the room, followed by Timothy.

* * *

><p>Arthur's plan was going perfectly. He had been able to whisper his plans to Leon during training, and the knight had promised that he would aid him in any way possible, including preparing a horse and supplies for the lover's escape. This made Timothy's job easier, as now he would only have to get supplies to Gaius. Training also helped with this problem, as Arthur was able to send his manservant down to the physician, saying it was for a balm Gaius had for sore muscles, while sending Timothy a pointed glance that he hoped the young boy had understood as a reminder of the plan they had made in the night. And, to make things better, The Lady Carina had been unavailable, so Arthur had the whole afternoon to continue planning, even if it had to be sneaky planning, as there were two guards inside his room watching his every move.<p>

Arthur began to worry when Timothy did not return to his chambers right away. He watched the sun lower in the sky, trying not to think of all the horrible things that could have happened to his new manservant on his way to and from the physician's quarters. When the door finally opened, revealing a nervous Timothy, Arthur almost shouted with relief. The young servant was carrying the prince's evening meal, along with a large jar that resembled the ones Arthur often received from Gaius to help with the aches and pains that accompanied being the first knight of Camelot. Timothy began arranging the dishes as Arthur sat at the table, trying to figure out a silent way of communicating with his new accomplice. As he watched the young boy set out his food, he noticed that even though Timothy looked quite frightened, he was not shaking. Arthur hoped this meant the boy had some sort of plan, and that he was able to figure it out without arousing the suspicion of the guards. As he was about to begin eating, Timothy looked him in the eye, and asked, "Would you like any wine, Sire?" Arthur watched his manservant intently as he asked this question, and saw the small shake of his head the guards did not see. Arthur's eyes grew wide as he guessed what the young man was insinuating with this signal. The sleeping draft could be in the wine! And if it was, Arthur just had to get the two guards in his room to drink it, and he would be free! Hoping he had interpreted the young man's signal correctly, Arthur replied,

"No thank you, Timothy. But we should not waste the King's wine. You two!" Arthur called to the two guards standing by his bed, "You must be thirsty, I think you deserve a reward! How would you like to try some of the wine from the royal cellars?"

Arthur held his breath, trying to look relaxed as the two guards debated whether or not it would be alright for them to drink the wine. Apparently, these two guards were not Camelot's brightest, as their greed won out over their reason and they reached for the full goblets Timothy offered them, having brought two goblets out in a strange show of foresight. Arthur smirked, noticing the pleased look on his servants face. He continued to eat as the guards drank the wine, and watched, as a few minutes later, they collapsed onto the floor.

Arthur ran to make sure the guards were unconscious before pulling Timothy into a tight hug, knowing he was closer than ever to getting Merlin out of the cold prison under the castle.

"That was brilliant Timothy!" The prince whispered, hoping the two thumps had gone unnoticed, "Thank you for everything, I promise I will never forget this!"

The manservant smiled, and stated, "It was the least I could do, Sire. Now go, you need to act quickly. Most everyone is dining now, so there will be few people in the halls. And take this," Timothy said, handing the prince the jug from Gaius, "it has another one of the smoke bombs Gaius made for you."

Arthur took the pot from Timothy, sure his plans could not fail now. He grabbed the bag he had gotten ready earlier in the day, containing some clothes and two cloaks that would disguise him and Merlin slightly while they made their escape. Before he left, Arthur took the pitcher of wine from where Timothy had set it on the table, and poured a glass for the man who had made his escape possible. He held out the goblet to the boy and said, "Thank you Timothy, on this day, you have proven yourself to be more noble and brave than many knights. If there is any way I can ever repay you, trust that I will. And do not blame yourself for my father's actions. Soon he will realize just how wrong he was. Good bye, and be safe."

Timothy smiled at the prince as he ran out the now unguarded door, holding the goblet the young sovereign had handed him up in a salute, before downing the liquid and collapsing on the floor with the guards.

* * *

><p>Arthur was unhindered as he ran towards the dungeons. When he got to the staircase leading down to the dungeons he stopped, watching the two guards below play a game with a pair of dice. He covered his face with the edge of one of the cloaks he had brought, lighting the smoke bomb Timothy had given him and dropping it on the heads of the unsuspecting guards below. He waited until the smoke cleared slightly, leaving two more unconscious guards. Arthur then rushed down the staircase, pulling the keys off one of the guards, and rushing towards the cell he knew held his love.<p>

When he reached the correct cell, Merlin was curled in a corner, asleep. Arthur began calling his name as he desperately tried the keys on the ring he had stolen from the guards. Merlin began stirring while the prince was still trying keys. Arthur saw the slight movements followed by a small groan as the sorcerer awoke.

"Get your skinny arse up here Merlin, I'm getting you out of here."

"Arthur? What are you doing here?"

"Saving you, idiot. Now get over here and help me open this door."

"No, Arthur, you have to get out of here. Think what the king will say."

Arthur stopped fiddling with the keys when Merlin said this. Something was wrong. Merlin was facing the wall away from him, his body drawn around his injured chest.

"Merlin, come on," Arthur pleaded, "we don't have to listen to my father anymore. I'm not going to let him touch you ever again. But we kind of need to move, so if you could help me this would be a lot easier."

"You have to be king, Arthur. Just go. Forget about me. Find someone better."

Arthur froze. He hated the cell door so much. Somehow, he still managed to hate his father more. He needed to get in there and comfort his love. Arthur was starting to suspect the guards had not been given the key to this cell, so he would need Merlin to open the door. He hoped that he could convince him to get up with just words.

"Merlin, what are you talking about? I could never forget about you. And there is no one else I could ever love, there is no one better."

"But, Arthur, I'm disgusting! No one could ever love me, not now that I look like this!"

With that, Merlin finally uncurled, sat up, and turned towards Arthur, exposing the marks the torture had left on him. Arthur fought back tears as he saw the horrible scars that _his father_ had left on Merlin, trying not to think about the amount of emotional damage they had caused his love.

"Merlin," Arthur whispered, "don't you ever say that. You are beautiful. No matter what. What Uther did was disgusting, but he could not change you. You are still perfect. And I still want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to hold you, I want to be with you. You will heal. And I will be with you every second of it. Please don't leave me, Merlin."

There were tears in both of the men's eyes. Merlin slowly stood up, and approached the bars, trying to ignore the pain he felt with every movement.

"I will never leave you Arthur. As long as you want me by your side I will be there." The young warlock reached through the bars and wiped away the tears on Arthur's face, using his arm to remove his own tears, before asking with a small smile, "So, do you have a plan, or are we improvising?"

"Leon should have horses waiting for us out by the gate we used when we smuggled that druid boy out of the city. As soon as you blast this door off, we will meet him and ride as fast as we can until we are out of Camelot. Then we wait. Together. Until I can come back and take my rightful place on the throne."

Merlin smiled at the prince, pointed his hand at the lock, and whispered, "Tóspringe" opening the door with a slight bang

"We are trying to be sneaky, _Mer_lin" Arthur said, pulling Merlin into hug, trying not to hurt the injured man, but needing to get as close as possible to the love he had been separated from.

"Sorry." Whispered Merlin, "Shouldn't we get moving, Arthur?"

"Hmm, just give me a moment, Merlin. Gods, how I've missed you. But you are right, if only this once. You wasted so much time moping, Leon will wonder where we are. Now put this on." The prince ordered, handing Merlin a cloak while pulling on his own.

* * *

><p>Merlin had to lean on Arthur as they raced through the dungeons, hurrying out through the tunnels Arthur had used as safe passage for Mordred. Leon was waiting outside, having already broken the grate open for them. As soon as Merlin was out of the dank passage he was tackled by a joyous Gwen.<p>

"Guinevere!" Arthur chastised, "He is injured!"

Gwen gasped, a pulled back, and looking Merlin up and down, and saying, "Merlin, I am so sorry, it's just, we've been so worried about you, me and Morgana, we wanted to help, but you just disappeared. And Gaius and Arthur have been acting so strangely. It's so good to see you!"

Merlin smiled at the slightly flustered maid, and answered, "It's wonderful to see you as well, Gwen. I'm going to miss you so much. Thanks for always being such a good friend to me, and helping me keep this prat under control."

Merlin pulled his first friend in Camelot into a loose hug, trying to convey his gratitude, but keep her away from his injured chest. He was so glad the cloak Arthur had given him hid most of his injuries; he didn't want Gwen to see what the king had done to him. After a moment, Arthur coughed, and the two friends broke apart. "I'm sorry Gwen," the young noble said, "but we really have to get moving. It won't be long before someone notices that we're missing, and I'd like to be a little ways from the castle when they do. Thank you both for your help, you should get inside quickly. Try not to let anyone see you. I don't want my father to suspect that either of you had anything to do with this. And Leon, if you could keep an eye on a boy named Timothy, he helped me get passed the guards, I don't want him harmed for the kindness he showed me."

Leon nodded, and helped Arthur get Merlin onto the horse. Climbing on the horse behind his love, Arthur smiled back at the loyal knight and beautiful maid, took one last look at the castle he had called home, and kicked the horse, starting a journey that he hoped would bring him to a place he could be with Merlin without having to hide.

They made it to the edge of the forest before Arthur heard the sound he had been dreading all night. The warning bell echoed throughout the town, loud clanging reaching the ears of the absconding couple as they entered the woods. Uther knew of their escape. The prince urged the horse faster, praying they had enough of a head start to escape the forces the king would be sending against him. One hand holding the reigns, he used his other arm to press Merlin closer to him, and tried not to think about what would happen if anyone tried to tear them apart again.


	9. Chapter 9: Out of the Fire

**AN: Hello! I'm back! Some things you should know before you read this chapter. 1. I don't know how to write action. I'm sorry. It gets a little crazy at the end. I think the point of view changes like five times really quickly, I just wanted to get a lot of different perspectives of the fight. 2. In my mind, the knights are slightly loyal to Arthur, even though they serve Camelot, where the guards are loyal to Uther only. I'm not really sure where this idea came from, but it makes sense in my mind, so that is kinda what happens in this chapter. I tried to make it slightly clear in the writing, but thought I should warn you guys about it up here as well. 3. The spell is from the list of spells Merlin official put on their twitter/facebook page. I think that's it.**

**And yes, this week I stole a chapter title from J.R.R. Tolkien. sorry**

**I still don't own Merlin, I think I failed to say that last chapter, I didn't own it then either.**

**And Helen, if you're reading this HI!**

**Last thing before the story, thanks to all the lovely reviews out there. Some of the reviews and messages I got on the last chapter almost made me cry (happy tears, don't worry). You guys are all so wonderful. But enough of my blathering, STORY TIME!**

Chapter Nine: Out of the Frying Pan…

Leon had only just made it back to his chambers when the warning bell rang. Although he had a pretty good idea why it was ringing, and had no desire to chase after the two men he had just helped escape, he knew, as head of the knights, he had to report to the king. When he made it to the throne room, he saw that it was already crowded with other knights and guards. When the king noticed his presence, he motioned him forward and began issuing orders.

"A prisoner has escaped from the dungeons. The prince is also missing, and I believe this prisoner has also kidnapped my son."

Leon found it hard not to argue this point. There was no way the king believed Merlin had kidnapped Arthur! He had to struggle to keep a straight face as Uther commanded,

"I want you to ride out, capture the criminal, and bring both him and the prince back to the castle, alive if possible. I condone any use of force necessary, but try not to harm the prince. A guard spotted them riding east, into the forest. Go, and bring back my son!"

Leon followed the other knights down to the stables, where he noticed that all of the king's personal guard was accompanying them. This made the knight nervous. He trusted the other knights not to harm Arthur and Merlin, maybe even let them slip away, but Uther's guard was another story. They were completely loyal to the king, and would do whatever possible to follow his orders. Leon just prayed that his two friends were far enough away that these guards would not catch them.

As they rode out, Leon tried to think of any way to slow the small army Uther had set out down, but could think of nothing. The tracks of the horse Leon had brought to the prince were found quickly, and, as all the horses of the pursuing party carried single, uninjured riders, Leon guessed they were moving much faster than the prince and manservant pair. He urged his horse faster, hoping that, if he could not hinder the guards and knights, he could at least warn Arthur of the forces trailing him.

* * *

><p>Arthur was so nervous. He could feel Merlin shaking slightly in his arms. They had had to slow down so much from the pace he had hoped to keep up, Merlin's injured body was just not up for the jolts that accompanied riding. He knew that his father would have ordered his forces out soon after the warning bell had sounded, so they could not be far behind them, especially as they were not doing much to conceal their path. He hoped it was just paranoia, as there was little he could do about it, but he kept on thinking that he heard noises around them. He was so afraid that he was not going to be able to keep the promises that he had made to his love earlier that night.<p>

No, he had definitely heard something this time. Someone was crashing through the forest behind them. Realizing there was no way they could outride whoever was pursuing them, Arthur turned the horse, shifted his arm around Merlin, so it was also holding the reigns, and unsheathed his sword with his other arm. Whoever was following them was not making much of an effort to stay silent. Arthur pulled Merlin closer to him, when he saw movement, and was ready to attack, when the rider broke through to the clearing he had been waiting in.

"Leon!" Arthur shouted, "What are you doing here?" Arthur asked, lowering his sword, but keeping it unsheathed.

"Arthur, you've got to hide, I was able to get ahead of them, but the other knights and the king's guards are not far behind. You won't be able to escape them at this rate, if you two hide now, I can try to send them in the wrong direction."

"Alright, come on Merlin, let's go. And thank you again, Leon. You have proven that you are a most worthy knight over and over again today. If I am ever king, I will make sure you are rewarded as you deserve."

With that, Arthur jumped off the horse, pulling Merlin off with him, and supported the injured warlock as they ran into the woods.

* * *

><p>Merlin was exhausted, but he could not let Arthur down, so he struggled on. Riding the horse had been hard enough, and running through the woods was practically impossible. He was even surer now that one of his ribs was broken from the kick he had received last night. At least he was with Arthur again. Being with his prince gave him the strength to continue on.<p>

Luckily, Arthur found a suitable hiding place quickly, pulling Merlin after him into the hollow left under a root. He hoped that the darkness would conceal them well enough, that even if someone chose to look under these roots, they would not see the two runaways. If only he knew a spell that could make them invisible. He wished he spent more time practicing magic, but that might mean less time kissing Arthur, and that would be unacceptable.

He smiled to himself with that thought, and scooted closer to his prince, needed to be as close as possible to the man of his dreams. Arthur accommodated him, pulling his arm tight around his hip, avoiding the stinging scars on his chest.

"You alright?" Arthur whispered, his voice filled with concern.

"Yeah, it's just so nice to be held again. I thought I would never get out of that cell."

Merlin felt Arthur nuzzle his shoulder, but then felt him stiffen, as he heard the boots of the forces sent to bring them back stomping near their hiding place. Merlin tried not to move, and was pretty sure he even stopped breathing as their hunters approached. He saw Arthur's hand stiffen around his sword hilt, but prayed they would not need it.

Soon the guards were close enough that they could hear the conversations and see the legs as they searched around their hiding place. Once, Merlin was sure he had heard Leon suggesting they turn the search south, towards the river, and wished the others would agree, but, unfortunately, it sounded as if one of the guards had found some sign that their prey was near. While listening to the king's men, the two lovers had overheard them speaking as if they believed that Arthur had been kidnapped by Merlin. Well, by the "escaped prisoner," no one had used Merlin's name yet. So the king must have lied about the situation, which really, wasn't all that surprising, when Merlin thought about it. He wondered what the knights would think when they realized the prisoner who had "kidnapped" the prince was him. The whole idea was laughable.

* * *

><p>The darkness underneath the tree seemed like it would keep them safe, until one of the guards, in an unprecedented act of brilliance, decided it would be a good idea to start a fire. Realizing they would not be hidden long with so much light around them, and not wanting to be found cowering under the tree, the two lovers sprang from their hiding place. Arthur, with his sword drawn in front of him, pulled Merlin behind him, watching the group of guards and knights close in around them.<p>

"Sire!" one of the knights called, "We were sent to rescue you! Where is the prisoner who kidnapped you?"

"Kidnapped me?" Arthur asked, "Is that really what the king told you? That Merlin kidnapped me? Come on, you don't seriously believe that, do you?" Arthur glanced around, taking in the confused glances of the group surrounding him and his love. His knights knew Merlin, so they must also know that he would never hurt Arthur, and that there was no way he could overpower the prince in a fight.

Although this statement caused most of the knights to hesitate, many of the guards seemed unperturbed by the fact that the criminal was an injured ex-manservant, currently taking shelter behind the larger, stronger prince. And it was a guard who acted next, just trying to follow his king's orders.

The arrow that was launched from the guard's crossbow was not meant for the prince. It was meant to hit the skinny boy behind the prince. But, the prince had been prepared for an attack. And, being the skilled warrior and hunter that he was, he had pushed Merlin out of the way at exactly the right time. Unfortunately, by pushing Merlin out of the way, he lost his chance to escape the trajectory of the bolt, and could do nothing as it sunk into his unarmored chest, just below his right shoulder.

* * *

><p>Merlin did not realize what was happening until it was too late. Therefore, he could do nothing from stopping the arrow meant for him from embedding itself in his love.<p>

"No" he muttered, as he collapsed to the ground next to Arthur and stared at the wound, as the knights and guards watched, silently, unsure of how to act.

"Arthur, you are going to be ok, right? You are not going to get hurt for trying to save me!" Merlin whispered to the prince, as he pushed around the wound, trying to determine how to best remove the arrow.

"Merlin… are you… alright?" Arthur gasped, his eyes barely open.

"Stop worrying about me, dollop-head, it's you that's in trouble. I have to get this arrow out."

"No… Merlin… you have… to run… I won't… let him hurt you… again."

With that the prince's eyes closed, leaving the warlock in shock above his unresponsive prince. And he knew, no matter who was watching, he had to save Arthur, even if it cost him his own life.

* * *

><p>Leon did not know what to do. He knew Arthur needed treatment, but he did not want to take him back to the castle he was trying to escape. And the guards would never let him take the prince anywhere else.<p>

While he and the rest of the "rescue party" tried to determine how to act, Leon noticed something. Merlin was still moving. He was not running as the prince hadinstructed, but pulling the arrow out of the unconscious man. Leon could only watch in horror as the bolt was removed from the flesh of the prince, who managed to let out a small yelp, even in his current unresponsive state. Once the arrow was removed from the wound, blood began to gush forth, staining the hands of the boy caring for the injured prince.

What happened next, Leon could not believe. Merlin, funny, kind, innocent Merlin, bent over the prince, running his hand over the gushing hole, and began whispering an incantation. With every stroke the boy's eyes flashed gold, condemning him of the worst crime possible in Camelot, sorcery. But Merlin couldn't be a sorcerer, could he? The prince trusted him completely. And he had always been by his side since he came to Camelot.

Leon glanced around, watching the knights and guards stare in bewilderment at the strange occurrence happening in front of them. Never had they imagined a sorcerer would heal a member of the royal family. But then, this was Merlin. Of course, if he was a sorcerer, he would manage to break the rules that entailed as well.

* * *

><p>Not all the people watching the scene were taking it as well as Leon. And, as the wound started to close, one of the guards saw the perfect opportunity. The sorcerer was distracted by the injured prince, so he did not notice as the guard snuck up behind him, and struck the criminal on the head with the pommel of his blade. The exhausted boy slumped forward, knocked unconscious by the blow.<p>

* * *

><p>Merlin was incredibly glad that he had learned healing spells. He gently caressed his love, whispering "Ic haele thina throwunga" each time his hand passed by the ugly mark just below Arthur's shoulder. He realized that the warriors surrounding him must have figured out what he was by now. He couldn't let Arthur die though. Not when he could prevent it. So, he kept on whispering and running his fingers along the once-perfect chest of his love, watching as the wound slowly healed. He heard nothing to warn him of the presence approaching from behind, so he was unprepared when the sword hilt struck him, sending him into darkness.<p>

* * *

><p>Arthur felt pain. His shoulder ached, but slowly the pain subsided, replaced by a strange warmth, until the pain had dissipated and the prince drifted into deep sleep.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10: Lies

**AN: Hey guys, sorry there was a little bit of a creak between chapters, but there is good news! This chapter has been edited by someone who is not me! So it will be much better than it was before. On that note, I would like to thank my friend Helen, who has agreed to spend the time to make my story more enjoyable for all of you guys! I got a little mean in this chapter. Merlin has a lot more suffering before this is over. I'm kinda mean. I feel like there were other things I wanted to say in this author's note. Just out of curiosity, I really want to get Lancelot into this fic, but I feel like having Arthur to randomly run into him (outside of Camelot, of course) would be slightly unbelievable. If you guys want to tell me what you think about this, I would be super grateful. And, as always, thanks so much for the reviews, favorites, alerts, and just for reading! There were another super wonderful reviews for the last chapter. Thank you all. You people are just too fantastic. You really helped me get through this week. **

**As a thank you for the reviews and for waiting slightly longer for this chapter, and just to make you happier after you read this sad chapter, here is a link to a picture of a couple of baby otters. They are pretty adorable. ?**

**Super long author's note! But, as always, I need to end with a reminder that I do not own Merlin. Sorry guys, I can do nothing to make season 5 come out sooner.**

Chapter Ten: Lies

Neither of the lovers woke on the journey back to the very castle they had tried to escape. Leon took Arthur on his horse, hating himself for brining his prince back. But if Merlin was a sorcerer, he could have enchanted the prince.

No! That wasn't possible, was it? Merlin always seemed so loyal to Arthur. He would never do anything to harm him, but if he had magic? Leon wished he had time to talk to the two young men, instead of bringing them back before a king who would never listen to reason where sorcery was involved.

The guard who knocked Merlin out had him slumped over his horse, hands tied behind him even though he was unconscious. It looked so wrong. Leon had sworn to protect and serve the people of Camelot, and harming Merlin seemed to be breaking that oath.

But, as the group returned to the castle, the loyal knight could think of no way to release his friends.

* * *

><p>Uther was not having a good night. His guards had been easily outsmarted, his only son had run off with some servant, and now King Edmund was telling him that his daughter would never marry his "diseased" son and that they would be leaving his "disgraceful" kingdom as soon as the sun rose. It seemed all his plans had come crashing down.<p>

The foreign king was interrupted suddenly when three guards burst into the throne room, two of them dragging an unconscious Merlin between them. Leon and a few of the knights followed behind, looking quite confused and carrying Arthur between them.

Uther jumped out of his throne and pushed past the disgruntled king to his son. "What happened?" Uther questioned, glaring at the men who had just entered, "I thought I ordered you NOT to hurt my son!"

The guard not holding the ex-manservant stepped toward Uther and began to tell the story of the capture of the two lovers. Uther listened as the man explained the chase into the forest, finding the lone horse, and eventually stumbling across the prince and manservant. The guard hesitated slightly as he told of the arrow meant for the prisoner that had hit the prince, and then stopped, looking nervously at the boy being restrained by the two guards behind him.

"You shot Arthur!" Uther shouted, "You IDIOTS! He's my only son! Take him to Gaius, quickly, he needs to live!"

"Wait, sire, he is uninjured. After the prince was hit, the boy, he saved him. He's a sorcerer, My Lord."

Uther couldn't believe it. His son's idiot manservant, a sorcerer? All the times he had been accused of having magic, only to find the real culprit in the nick of time. Hell, he had even accused himself of magic once, to try to save Morgana's maid. How could Uther have been so blind?

"You all saw him do magic?" Uther asked, watching as all the knights and guards in the throne room nodded, the knights looking slightly more hesitant about accusing the boy than the guards. "That explains why Arthur acted so strangely, he was enchanted! Well, this changes everything. I cannot overlook the evils of magic, and this boy's deception further proves that I have been too lax in my fight against this corruption. But no longer. The boy will be executed at dawn as a warning to the others who try to conceal themselves from my judgment."

As Uther finished speaking, Sir Leon stepped forward with a frightened look on his face.

"Are you sure he is evil, Sire? He did save Arthur; he could be proof that magic could be used for good."

If it hadn't been Leon, the second in command of the knights after his son, Uther probably would have had him locked in the dungeons, possibly facing execution along with the magician who had corrupted his son. Leon had proved himself loyal on many occasions, and this boy had tricked the prince. It made sense that Arthur would not be the only victim of his cruel games. The knight must have fallen into his web of lies as well.

"Sir Leon, what you say is treason; the boy will be put to death. You will see his trickery once he is gone and his enchantments are lifted."

"Wait a minute, Uther." King Edmund said. Uther had almost forgotten about the other noble in the room. Edmund had insulted his kingdom enough; couldn't he just be content with leaving in the morning?

"My stay here has been anything but pleasant, and I will never allow your son near my daughter, but if you let me take this boy with me when I leave, I will forget this disastrous visit and our kingdoms will remain allies."

"What? What do you want with him?" Uther asked, confused by this sudden offer.

"I have recently found a way of subduing a sorcerer's powers, and need a subject to test it out on. He would not be allowed to return to Camelot, and you can trust his stay in my kingdom will not be an all-together pleasant one. What say you, Uther?"

Uther processed the other king's proposal. It seemed almost too perfect. Merlin would continue to suffer away from Camelot and he would have the support of King Edmund? If the boy's magic was suppressed, any spell he had cast would be broken, right? He looked over at his unconscious son, hoping this decision would free him from this sorcerer's hold.

"You may take him Edmund, as long as you make sure he never sets foot in Camelot again."

"Of course, Uther. I will finish packing and prepare to leave. I need to get him back to my castle as soon as possible. Only there can I control him. I will need some materials from your physician to keep him subdued on my journey."

"Take whatever you need, my friend. I will assist you in any means possible."

"Thank you, I will take my leave of you now. There is much to be prepared before I leave tomorrow. Take the sorcerer out to my carriage, I will send my own guard to watch him."

And with that, all the people in the throne room departed. Edmund to the physicians quarters, the knights to Arthur's chambers to return the sleeping prince to his rightful place, the guards pulling the sorcerer out towards the stables and his new future with King Edmund, and the king of Camelot towards his own bed, sure that he was going to get a good night's sleep for the first time in weeks.

* * *

><p>When Arthur woke in his bed, he felt cold despite the copious blankets covering him. Something was incredibly wrong. He had been in the forest, hadn't he? With Merlin. They were running away when they had been surrounded and he had been shot. Wait, shot? If he had been shot, why wasn't he in any pain? The prince sat up quickly, looking at his clean room, still completely confused. As he pulled down the night shirt he was wearing (he definitely did not remember putting it on) over his right shoulder, where the arrow had embedded itself, there was no mark. But he remembered the arrow! It had hurt! There was no way he would have gotten out of that without a scar, unless…<p>

But no, Merlin wouldn't be stupid enough to use magic in front of the knights, would he? And where was he? How had he ended up back in Camelot? Arthur decided he had way too many questions, and if someone didn't start answering them quick, he was going to start breaking things.

Just as Arthur was about to get out of bed and go storming around the castle demanding answers, the doors to his chambers were opened and a confused looking Timothy entered. Upon seeing the young boy, Arthur's hope of getting answers rose.

"Timothy!" he exclaimed, "Please tell me you know what's going on here. Where is Merlin? How did I get here?"

"I don't know, Sire." The young boy replied, crushing Arthur's hope. "When I woke, the king told me that you had been injured and I was to report to him the moment you woke up. He didn't say anything about Merlin. I snuck down to the prison, but there was no one there. No one seems to have seen him."

Arthur thought over what Timothy had just told him. Was it possible that Merlin had followed orders for once and ran after he had been injured? That seemed unlikely, but he didn't want to think of the other possibilities.

"Tell the king I am awake, Timothy. He might be able to answer my questions."

Timothy nodded and left the room. Arthur did not want to have to rely on the king for answers to his questions, but he could think of no one else who might know of the fate of his lover. So he waited, trying to keep his mind from thinking up every horrible thing that could have happened to Merlin while he had been unconscious.

It was not long before his doors were opened again, admitting his father and manservant.

"Arthur! It is so good to see you awake! How are you feeling?" Uther boomed, looking much happier than he had for quite a while.

"I'm fine, Sire" Arthur replied, still unwilling to call this man father, "but what happened to Merlin? Where is he?"

Uther no longer looked cheery as he had when he entered, as he replied, "It turns out your manservant was a sorcerer. He had you under an enchantment. I believe he wanted to turn you against me. But he is gone now, do not worry, my son."

Arthur was shocked. Uther knew Merlin had magic? Arthur was afraid to ask the next question, but he had to know, "What do you mean, gone?"

"After his treachery was uncovered, he was executed. His magic will not hurt you any longer Arthur. You are free."

No. No, this wasn't possible. Merlin couldn't be dead. There was no way. He couldn't live without Merlin.

"How could you?" Arthur murmured, his voice barely audible.

"He broke the law, Arthur. He got what he deserved. If anything, death was too good for him. Soon his enchantment will fade completely, and you will remember who you are. I will leave you to rest, this will all be over soon, son. He will be nothing but a bad dream.

Arthur didn't want to believe Merlin was dead, but if his father knew he had magic, he wouldn't have let him live. His head spun as he collapsed once more onto his bed, praying that his father was lying and that he would get to see his love again.

* * *

><p>Uther left his son's chambers with a smile on his face. His son seemed to believe him. He would never learn of the true fate of the sorcerer. And soon, Camelot would have its golden prince back again.<p>

* * *

><p>King Edmund left Camelot feeling quite happy. Even though his daughter was no closer to finding a husband, he finally had what he needed to continue his work. The sorcerer bound in the carriage that held most of their luggage must be powerful if he was able to hide in a kingdom that hated magic so. And to completely control the prince! He had definitely got the better end of the deal he had made with Uther. Well, the other king would probably regret it when he broke the boy, and gained a powerful slave. Uther was so blinded by his hatred of magic that he could not see how useful it could be. It would take a lot to get the boy to fold to his will, but the king was a patient man, and his methods had not failed him yet. He would create the perfect kingdom for his daughter, no matter what he had to do to achieve it.<p>

* * *

><p>Merlin woke once after being knocked out in the forest, only to have some foul concoction forced down his throat. He only had a few brief moments to take in his surroundings before he drifted into unconsciousness once more. It was dark, but it looked like he was in some cart. He was tied up again, and there were at least two guards around him, wearing a crest he did not recognize.<p>

He could not judge how long he remained in this cart, as each time he began to stir, his nose was pinched and another dose of the potion was poured down his throat, sending him back to troubled dreams.


	11. Chapter 11: The Missing Neckerchief

**AN: Hey guys! I'm back! So, sorry this is a pretty short chapter. Again, I need to thank my friend Helen for helping me with this! She also listens to my crazy brainstorming at times, which can be super helpful. Umm, please don't hate me for this, but there is very little Merlin in this chapter. I just needed Arthur to figure out what was happening before I got into all that whumpy goodness. I promise, next chapter will be mostly devoted to Merlin suffering. Wow, I am a really creepy person. Also, sorry for the bad formatting in chapter 10, I will hopefully have it fixed briefly after I post this. And I was listening to the soundtrack of Holy Musical Batman while I was writing this, so it might be a little crazy. And the title is kind of an inside joke with myself. It made sense in my mind, and I really wanted to call it this, so sorry if it doesn't really make sense :)**

**I LOVE all the reviews and favorites and alerts and all that stuff! You guys are some TOTALLY AWESOME people. I wanna be your friend forever! With the power of the super friends your never alone! kay, I have returned to singing HMB again. whoops**

**So, I still don't own Merlin. As Kilgarrah would say, it is not my destiny.**

**ON WITH THE STORY!**

Chapter 11: Misplaced Neckerchief

Merlin could not be dead. There was no way Arthur's father had been telling the truth. Arthur had spent most of the morning trying to convince himself of this. If Uther really had killed Merlin, he would have wanted Arthur to watch, right? But if he truly thought Arthur had been "enchanted" by Merlin he might have wanted to keep Arthur as far from the warlock as possible…

NO! He couldn't think like that. He wasn't going to give up on Merlin. Merlin wouldn't have given up on him. Someone in the castle must know what happened to his love.

Arthur hadn't been hungry when Timothy came back with his lunch, so instead of eating, he snuck out of his chambers, hoping that Uther wouldn't have him under guard this time.

There were no guards waiting outside his door. Actually, there were very few people in the castle, and the few he did see seemed to be avoiding him. Arthur had decided that he should talk to Gaius first, if anyone cared about Merlin as much as he did, it would be the elderly physician.

When he reached Gaius' room, it was empty. While he waited for Merlin's mentor to return, he went into the small chambers that had belonged to Merlin. It was as messy as always, even though his love hadn't spent much time in this room since he had begun spending his nights in Arthur's arms.

The prince's eyes were caught by a flash of red, one of the neckerchiefs Merlin never seemed to be without. He picked it up, and promised himself that he would hold onto it until he knew Merlin was safe.

Arthur heard the door to the outer chambers open, so he retreated from the empty room hoping for news of his beloved.

"Sire!" The physician called out in surprise, "What are you doing here? Are you alright?"

Arthur paused, wondering how he should answer that last question. He was certainly not alright, at least in a mental sense.

"Gaius, something's happened to Merlin, please tell me you know where he is."

Gaius looked confused at this plea, as he answered, "Is he not still in the dungeons still, Sire?"

Arthur's hopes fell. Gaius didn't even know his ward had been freed for a brief moment. How could the king have hidden his actions so completely?

"No, Gaius, I broke him out, but we were caught. Uther said…" Arthur faltered; he couldn't bring himself to repeat what the king had told him.

"What did he say, Arthur. Please tell me."

"Gaius, he said he killed him. He knew he had magic. I don't know where he is, but he can't be dead, can he?"

Arthur felt like he was about to cry as the elderly physician pulled him into a hug. He wondered if Uther had ever held him like this. It felt so safe, being encircled by the other man's arms.

After a moment, Arthur pulled himself from the embrace, reacting as he had been taught as the crown prince. He wasn't supposed to depend on others; that would be a weakness.

"I don't know, Arthur." Gaius replied, "I hope that Uther is lying, and at this point, I wouldn't put it past him, but if he knows what Merlin is, then he might have done the unthinkable. I will speak to the king; see if I can get any more information from him."

"Thank you, Gaius. I am sorry that I had to bring you such bad news, I know how much he meant to you, you were always like a father to him."

"No, thank you, Sire. I am sure this is incredibly hard for you. Just remember that he loves you so much, he's been so much happier since you two got together. You have done more for him than most in your position would."

With that Arthur left the physician's quarters, still gripping Merlin's neckerchief in his hand.

* * *

><p>Arthur had spoken to Morgana and Guinevere, neither of them had heard anything about Merlin's fate. He ran into Gaius again later, and he had told him that Uther only repeated the story he had related to his son, adding that he had not been told of the execution in an attempt to keep the people most likely under the "sorcerer's" control from causing trouble. Arthur was getting desperate when he ran into someone.<p>

"Sire!"

"Sir Leon?" Arthur asked as he realized who he had stumbled into. He had not thought of asking the knight, but if anyone knew what happened to Merlin, it would be Leon. He had been there when they were caught! "Please tell me you know what happened to Merlin after we were brought back here."

"The king didn't tell you?" Leon asked, and Arthur feared his worst fears had just been confirmed.

"So he is dead, then?"

"NO! I'm sorry Arthur! I didn't mean that! The king told you he was dead?"

Arthur could only nod in response, waiting for the rest of the knight's story.

"King Uther gave Merlin to King Edmund when he found out that he had magic. King Edmund said that he had some device that would control magic, or something, and he wanted to test it out. You're father gave him Merlin in return for his friendship and the support of his kingdom. He left yesterday morning while you were still unconscious."

Arthur was in shock. Merlin was still alive! He had been beginning to lose hope, but Leon said he was alive! He hated his father for lying to him, and using Merlin as some type of bartering tool. He needed to get Merlin back from King Edmund as soon as possible. Who knew what Carina's father would do to Merlin.

"I'm sorry Arthur. I couldn't do anything to stop it, but we, the knights and I, all know that it was wrong. Merlin could never be evil."

"Leon, you have done enough. Thank you for telling me what happened. I'm going to get him back."

Now that Arthur knew where his love was, there was little that could keep him away. He would spend tonight gathering all the supplies he could without arousing any suspicion, and he would ride out in the morning. He was going to rescue Merlin.

* * *

><p>When Merlin finally fully regained consciousness, he awoke to much less pleasant conditions than Arthur had earlier that same day. He was in another dungeon, much less pleasant than the one he had spent the last few days in. His arms and legs were chained to the wall, and there was something heavy around his neck. When he reached up to find out what it was, he found a cold collar in place of his usual neckerchief. When he tried to unlock it using magic, he felt a horrible pain, and quickly stopped. All he could do was wait and wonder what was going to happen to him. He wondered what Arthur was doing. He hoped his healing spell had worked.<p> 


	12. AN!  Sorry :

AN: Hey guys, I'm sorry no new chapter, but it is coming, I promise! I just wanted to let you know about what my plans were and why this chapter is taking a little longer than usual.

So, I really want to do a good job on this chapter, I think it is kind of important, so I have been writing a little slower than normal. I also have been a little sick, and sleeping has been taking precedence over writing. So, I'm really sorry about the delay. Hopefully this chapter will be up before the week is out, but I am a little scared to promise anything. It is also looking to be a pretty long chapter (I have two pages, and all that's happened really is Merlin's met Edmund). Hopefully this chapter will live up to the amount of time it is taking to write, but I just wanted to assure you guys that this is still happening and the break shouldn't be too long, just slightly longer than usual.

Umm, so as a bonus, as there is no chapter, I thought I would share with you my "plan" for the first couple of chapters. Much has changed. And the spelling is horrendous. But, if you are interested, you can learn more about how my mind works! Oh, and there is some bad language and general me being mean-ness in this, just as a warning

The plan

Chap 1-Merlin and Arthur are in love! Fluffy goodness

Chap 2-Uther want Arthur to get married? Oh nos! merlin's cute, arthur's angry, uther finds out.

Chap 3-uther yells, Arthur yells, merlin stays pretty quiet. Uther wins, Arthur cries.

Chap 4-uther yells, merlin pays, gaius helps? Probs, don't want merlin to die. Needs him for blackmailing.

Chap 5-king stinky and his daughter lady bitch arrive. Arthur tries to be suave, uther threatens merlin a lot. Not to merlin, to Arthur.

Chap 6-what are Morgana and gwen doing? Do we find out in this chap? Maybe. Arthur cant stand lady bitch any more, and decides that he will sneak down and see merlin with the help of gwen Morgana gaius and maybe leon? I like leon. He is immortal.

Chap 7-arthur really cant stand lady bitch, and is tired of his father threatening his merlin muffin. Deciding that he cant take it any more, he sneaks down to rescue merlin, so they can run away somewhere romantic, and return to Camelot once uther is no more.

Chap 8- things don't go so well for the eloping love birds. And happy endings seem far from reach when uther finds out merlin has other secrets, namely magic. Maybe dragons as well? Oh wait. I'm in season 2. No dragon lord powers. Grrrrrrrrrrr. I hate you Morgana. Why do you always mess with my life? I don't understand. Poop. But anyways. Maybe attack by giant evil magic monster after guards/knights find them? Merlin protects Arthur with magic and peeps see? Hmmm, this is more difficult. Oh wait, I is getting idea! So maybe lovebirds are caged by angry uther knights, Arthur gets badly injured (protecting merlin of course) and merlin is like gaaahhhh I hate you all, and now I use magic to save Arthur! And the knighty people are like magic, wtf? Now we really have to kill him. But king stinky is like I has this new device that lets me control magicness. Could I has merlin in exchange for lots of peace betweens us? And uther is like deal. Hmm, still a little ruff, but coming together.

Chap 9-arthur wakes up in his chambers? How did that happen. He is also all healed but considerably merlin-less. Uther, being a bastard, tells his son merlin is dead. Arthur is angsty. Maybe get a flash to merlins new life as king stinkys magic slave?

Chap 10- Arthur can't accept that the world is now lacking of merlin so he decides to investigate this mystery further. When gwen, Morgana, and gaius know nothing, he begins to question his faith in merlin being alive. But maybe leon knows the truth? He is head of the knighty people. So he learns of merlins forced servitude to king stinky. Might also answer some questions as to why king stinky and lady bitch are no longer around. Deciding he can't let his merlin muffin suffer at king stinky's hands any longer, he rides out to save merlin from the clutches of king stinky.


	13. Chapter 12: Holding On

**AN: HEY GUYS! It's here! the real chapter 12! I hope you are as excited as I am! So, do you remember when I said chapter 8 would probably be the longest, well, apparently that was a lie. Chapter 12 wins that prize. And to make it even better I have so much to say in this AN. sorry. I suppose you can skip most of it, but there is a bit on timeline stuff that might make things clearer. **

**Ok, 1. warning for homophobia, lots of violence, pain, angst, suicidal thoughts, lets just get all that good stuff out there. Edmund is a jerk. Sorry.**

**2. I decided I needed Lancelot. Sorry, it's kinda weird, but I wanted him to be a part of this. and he has long hair in this. cause I said so.**

**3. Confusing timeline stuff. I tried to keep it clear, but it confused me so I thought I would explain it a little here. The first two sections of Merlin whump take place on the same day Arthur is looking around Camelot for Merlin. The next day starts with Arthur meeting Lancelot, then we get into Merlin's second day of sadness. I hope this makes sense. If you don't get it, review! :)**

**Ummm I think those were the most important things. Sorry about the wait, and the funky AN. Haldor is from a season 3 deleted scene. I don't actually know how to spell. And the magic is from an old english translator. I have no idea how accurate it is. Sorry.**

**I don't own Merlin. Merlin would hate me so much if I did. that will become obvious in this chapter**

**and I still have no knowledge of medical procedures, so if he should have already died, sorry. He's magic. so, he didn't. :)**

**Thank you all for reading, reviewing, waiting patiently, smiling, favoriting, alerting, and just generally being awesome. And special thanks to Helen for not hating me for the way I treat Merlin :)**

**ON WITH CHAPTER 12!**

Chapter 12: Holding On

Merlin was quickly discovering this imprisonment was not going to be as boring as his time in the dungeons of Camelot. Not long after he had regained consciousness, he was unchained and pulled out of the cell into a room that vaguely resembled the one he had been whipped in, but there was no way Arthur would show up here.

Waiting for him was a thin man with lank hair hanging down to his shoulders. He was wearing a crown, so he must have been some type of royalty. Not for the first time Merlin wondered what he was doing in this strange place, surrounded by people he had never seen before. Merlin was thrown at the feet of this man, who, as the young warlock tried to sit up without causing his fingers or chest further pain, began to speak.

"Welcome to my kingdom, freak. That is what they called you, right? It is written on your chest."

Merlin tried not to show the hurt and anger he felt at those words, and chose not to reply, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him. Or he tried to, as his head was jerked upwards by a hand gripping his hair, and he found himself looking into the eyes of the unknown royal. After a brief moment where the dark eyes pierced his bright blue eyes, the royal slapped him and let go of his hair, causing Merlin to fall back to the ground.

"You will answer me when I ask you a question, boy. You belong to me now, and you shall do as I say. If you do not, there will be consequences. I know what you are, freak. Normally I wouldn't allow someone who engaged in such unnatural acts like you in my castle, but seeing as how you have power, I will overlook your abnormality as long as you submit to me. Do you understand?"

Merlin certainly did not understand. What was this crazy man talking about? He belonged to no one!

"Who do you think you are? You cannot own me! And what are you talking about? Where's Arthur? Is he-"

Merlin was cut off by another slap, but before he could return to the sitting position, his head was forced back into the ground by the booted foot of the crazy stranger.

"You will not mention the name of that perverted prince in my castle!" The man shouted, "I am King Edmund, but you will call me Sire, Lord, or Master. You were given to me by King Uther. I saved you from death on the pyre. You should be grateful. Now, are you ready to do as I say, or will I have to let my friends help convince you?"

When King Edmund said friends, he gestured to a vast array of torture devices lined up against the back wall. Merlin tried to hide the fear in his eyes as he returned his gaze to the man standing in front of him.

"What do you want me to do?"

As soon as he had asked the question, the king slapped him again, this time with his other hand. This one had a large ring on the index finger, which left a long red track across Merlin's cheek.

"Use my title when you speak to me, boy! Your insolence may have been tolerated in Camelot, but it will not be here. Why don't you try asking that question again?"

Merlin scowled, but decided it would be best to humor this creepy king until he could figure out what was going on.

"What do you want me to do, my lord?" Merlin mumbled.

"I am forming an army of magic users, like yourself. I want you to join me, and help me expand my kingdom. But, before you are allowed to take your proper place as my soldier, I need your word you will not disobey me. Did you know that vows made in the language of the old religion cannot be broken? So, what do you say, boy, ready to join the new empire?"

"Are you mad?" Merlin asked, his eyebrows rising to a height Gaius would have been proud of, he would have laughed if the situation had not been so dire. This king could not be serious, could he? "Do you really think I will work for you? Now, I've got a prat to protect, so if you wouldn't mind, I think I'll be leaving."

As Merlin finished speaking, King Edmund grabbed him by the hair and hauled him to his feet. The ringed hand was then at his throat, pushing him back against one of the walls of the small room.

"If I didn't need that tongue of yours, I would cut it out." King Edmund whispered to Merlin, pushing his fingers against his windpipe, causing Merlin to struggle for air. Well, that was a familiar feeling. At least this king was not nearly as strong as Uther, so his feet remained on the ground as he gasped, trying unsuccessfully to fill his lungs with oxygen.

As Merlin struggled to get away, his magic began to react. He was tired and hurt, so he had little control over the vast power inside him. But, when he tried to use his power to push the man holding him against the wall backwards, pain overwhelmed him. It seemed Edmund noticed his failed attempt to escape, and released his neck, letting Merlin slide to the floor, grasping his head. What none of the people in the chamber had noticed was that when Merlin's magic had tried to break free, a small crack appeared in the collar. Just a tiny chip in the otherwise solid metal, but it was there, nonetheless. When the pain receded enough for Merlin to reopen his eyes, he saw the king standing above him, smirking. "So, do you like my collar, freak? It was made especially for people like you, to keep you from causing too much trouble. I have to say, it looks much better than that filthy scarf you were wearing when I acquired you."

"My name," Merlin hissed, "is Merlin."

The king chuckled at this. "Don't like being called freak, do you? That's just too bad, isn't it? Things like you don't get to have real names. I heard Uther talking about what you did with the prince. Freak is a kind term."

Was that why this man seemed to hate him so much? Not because he was a sorcerer, but because he loved a man? Well, that was different. Why would this foreign king care how he and Arthur felt for each other?

"If you are sure you aren't ready to join me, I will just have to convince you. What should we start with? Ah, I know! We can't have you walking around with a brand from Camelot, can we? Oswald, remove his shirt, and tie him to the table."

Merlin tried to make it as hard as possible for the guard to follow his king's orders, but was quickly overpowered and secured to the table in the center of the room. His legs were bound by leather straps at the bottom of the table, while similar straps held his arms next to his side. Even though the room was quite cool, Merlin felt his cheeks flush. Some of the guards had sniggered when they saw the state of his scarred chest. He wished he was back in the cell underneath Camelot. At least there he had been left alone, mostly.

King Edmund walked up to his side, holding a dagger. The weapon was curved around the edges, making it look as if it had been designed to cause pain, not efficiency. His captor tsked and shook his head slowly, saying, "No no no, can't have people mistaking you as property of Camelot. Soon that mark won't be recognizable though, don't worry."

Merlin's eyes widened in horror as he realized what the man was about to do seconds before it happened. The blade slide across the scab left from the brand Uther had used on him only days before. Edmund sliced across the wound again and again, causing Merlin to cry out in pain. Soon the mark was unrecognizable and blood coated Merlin's stomach. Most of the red liquid had pooled around his naval, while the rest had slowly dripped of his side, adding to the stains on the table.

"Well, what say you now, boy?" Edmund asked him as he admired the work he had done on the boy's chest, "Ready to join my army now you no longer have that idiot king's mark on you?"

Merlin took a deep breath, trying to stop the tears rolling down his cheeks, stinging the scratch the king had made earlier, before replying with a weak, "No."

"Hmm, then we will have to try something else won't we? You know, some people might still be able to recognize that mark, why don't we make sure they know you belong to me. Bring me the brand."

Merlin bit back a whimper. He remembered the pain that accompanied the brand. He had to hold on. Arthur would come for him, right?

Then, suddenly, there was the familiar burning pain. He had not been able to see Edmund as he approached his shoulder, marking him as his property. As Edmund withdrew the scorching metal, Merlin relaxed, eyes closed, trying not to scream. Thinking that this part of his trial was over, he was completely unprepared as the brand was once again pressed against him, this time just above his hip, causing some of the blood that had been smeared across his chest to sizzle slightly. Merlin couldn't hold back the scream this time. It ripped from his throat and filled the chambers around him.

Merlin wondered if he might be freed from this torture by unconsciousness, but it seemed his body was not ready to give in yet. As the brand was returned to the fire, Merlin reopened his eyes slowly, seeing the smirking face of the king staring intently at him.

"So, sorcerer, what do you think? Ready to join me now that everyone will be able to tell you are mine?"

"Never." The young warlock spat out.

"That's too bad. At least it gives you more time to get to know all of my friends! But, it is almost time for the midday meal. We will have to wrap this session up soon. Before I leave though, let's make sure you don't go anywhere."

Edmund had gone back over to the wall that held all of his "friends". Merlin sniggered silently as he realized these inanimate torture devices were probably the king's only friends. His amusement did not last for long as the king returned with a large hammer. Merlin twisted in his bindings, trying to determine what new pain was about to be added to the many injuries that littered his body. He watched as the king moved down the table, stopping by his shins, before he raised the hammer and brought it down hard on the middle of his shin. Merlin screamed as he felt the bones snap. Tears spilled down his face, as the king slowly walked around the table, reaching the same point on Merlin's other side before bringing the hammer back up and breaking the bone in the warlock's other leg, as another scream pierced the chamber.

"Take him back to his cell. Make sure no one visits him. And don't worry, freak. I'll be back to see you later."

With that the king swept out of the chamber, leaving his guards to unbind the sorcerer, and drag him back to the cell they had removed him from. As soon as the door was locked again, Merlin pulled himself into the most comfortable position he could, trying to get as far away from the door as possible, checking his injuries as best he could in the terrible conditions, and when satisfied there was nothing more he could do, sank down into a deep sleep.

* * *

><p>Merlin was awoken after what felt like no time at all by a kick to his injured legs. The pain shot threw him, bringing him back to cruel reality. Edmund had entered his cell this time. Merlin wondered if that meant there would be less pain this time, if he wasn't being taken to see Edmund's "friends".<p>

"What do you think, sorcerer? I gave you some time to think over my generous offer, would you like to join the winning side?"

Merlin scoffed at the conceited statement. If the dragon was right, then there was no way this king would ever succeed. "Wait, are you going to take me back to Arthur?" Merlin asked with false happiness, "It is his destiny to rule all of Albion, you know. You will never be able to defeat him!" Merlin ended the statement with a laugh, enjoying the look of fury that had passed over the king's face.

His happiness did not last for long as another kick connected with his injured stomach, causing him to curl around his bloodied abdomen.

"What did I tell you about mentioning the royal freak in my castle!"

Merlin was not going to stand for this mad-man calling his love a freak. "DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT ARTHUR THAT WAY!" Merlin yelled with all the power he possessed, causing the crack on the collar to grow once more.

"You really do love him, don't you freak? You know he can never be with you. When he becomes king, he will have to marry a woman, and you will be forgotten like every other servant he has bedded. He probably has moved on already, found some other pretty thing to keep him entertained. He was always going to abandon you, why don't you act first?" Edmund asked, with a wicked grin splitting across his face.

"No matter how Arthur felt, I would never betray him. But he does love me, even though he knows his father would never approve, even though I kept secrets from him, and I don't believe for one second that he has given up on me. And he is the reason I will never join your stupid army, and he will be your downfall."

The smile had fallen from Edmund's face as Merlin spoke, and the conviction in his voice seemed to spark a small glimmer of fear in the dark eyes. But as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.

"When my plan is completed, no one will stand in my way. Your precious Arthur will fall with the rest of the royals when my army marches. But I am tired of this. It is time to resume your training. I thought we would try something different this afternoon. This is Cyrus, he was one of the first to realize who would hold power in the future and join my forces. He knows some fascinating spells we would like to share with you. Cyrus?"

A tall man with a long black beard stepped forward from the group of guards that had escorted the king to the dungeons. He reached his hand forward, holding it in front of Merlin's face, so the young warlock had an up close view of the curled, yellow fingernails.

Merlin's eyes flickered between the hand and the green eyes of the sorcerer standing over him as the man spoke, "_oynnestre angsumnes_" and suddenly his body was consumed with burning pain. It felt as if every bone in his body was burning, and his head felt like it would split open. He lost all sense of time as his mind was lost to the overwhelming pain. When the spell was withdrawn and the pain finally abated, Merlin noticed he was no longer sitting up against the wall, but lying in the middle of the cell. His legs throbbed from the recent motion and his throat ached as if he had been screaming. When his breathing resumed a normal pace the king bent down and asked him again if he would swear allegiance to him. All Merlin could do was shake his head and brace himself for the next wave of pain that crashed over him as the other sorcerer repeated the words.

This pattern went on for what felt like an eternity to Merlin, until finally, his tormentors left him alone in his cell, with the promise they would be back in the morning. Merlin could not move, his body was too sore and exhausted, so he fell asleep where he lay, silent tears streaming down his face as he prayed the king was wrong and Arthur was on his way.

* * *

><p>Arthur had left as soon as the sun had risen. He wanted to get out before his father could question him. Unfortunately, he had to ride alone, knowing his knights may be loyal to him, but had a duty to Camelot. Gaius and Gwen had helped him gather the supplies he would need for his journey, and Leon was going to tell Uther that he had gone on a hunting trip to clear his mind and was not sure when he would be back. He hadn't taken much with him, just some food, clothing, a blanket and a map. Arthur was not familiar with these lands, He and his father had rarely visited Edmund's kingdom due to its proximity with Mercia and their past quarrel with the close kingdom. Gaius had also made sure he had some medical supplies and that he knew (vaguely) how to use them. Arthur hoped that if he needed these, Merlin would be there to help him use them correctly. Arthur was not sure if he was ready to treat anything besides the small battle wounds he had had to deal with before.<p>

Arthur rode as fast as his horse could carry him. He needed to get to Merlin fast. Unfortunately, the horse did not have the same drive he did, and soon tired, forcing Arthur to stop in a small village near the border of the two kingdoms called Haldor. He figured as long as he had to rest his horse he may as well go into the tavern, se if he could find anyone who had seen King Edmund riding home.

As Arthur walked into the only tavern in this small town, he was astonished by how different it was from the Rising Sun and the other taverns in Camelot. The people here seemed gloomy and depressed, and many looked as if they had not seen a good meal in many days. Arthur stood out like a sore thumb in comparison. He walked over to the bar and asked the nervous looking woman behind the counter, "Excuse me miss, I was wondering if the king's convoy passed through here lately. I need to speak with King Edmund and would like to know how far behind him I am."

When Arthur mentioned the king, many of the people in the tavern turned to glare at the prince. His instinct told him he had messed up, as these people seemed to be quite angry at him. The bar maiden was simply staring at him with an expression of shock and horror, and he wondered if he would be able to exit the building without being attacked. Before he came to a decision, a large hand grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. The man attached to the hand was quite large and angry looking. He kept his hand on Arthur's shoulder as he asked in a gruff voice, "What business do you have with the king, boy?"

"I believe he has harmed my friend, and I intend to stop him." Arthur answered, deciding this was close enough to the truth, and hopefully would not anger the tavern-goers more. Apparently it had worked, as the man holding his shoulder smiled and informed him, "That bastard-king rode through here not two days ago. He'll be back at his palace now, planning how to steal our money for god knows what. If you ride quickly you might just get there before nightfall, but be wary boy, that man is cruel. My name is Levin, and if you need anything for your journey, I shall assist you. The people of this town have suffered under that tyrant's power, we share your pain."

"I'm-" Arthur started, planning on giving Levin his name in return, when the door to the tavern burst open, and someone finished the statement for him.

"Arthur!" The newcomer called, causing most of the bar, who had been watching the strange situation, turn to see who had interrupted the handsome foreigner. "I saw a horse with Camelot's crest on it, so I wondered, but I never thought I would see you here! What brings you all the way out to Haldor?"

"Lancelot?" Arthur replied, surprised to see the almost-knight in this small town. "What are you doing here?"

The inhabitants of the tavern continued to regard the two beautiful men, surprised that the kind man who had been living in their town, helping in whatever ways he could, was acquainted with the strange new comer. Levin retreated from the two men, knowing that he would be an unwanted presence in this reunion.

Lancelot told his story as Arthur walked with the man out of the tavern, glad to have found someone who might be willing to help him in his quest for Merlin. "I've been wandering for a while since I helped you rescue Guinevere from Hengist. This town seemed to be a little down on its luck, so I have been trying to help in whatever ways I can. But what about you? Why aren't you in Camelot? Where are your knights? Is Merlin here too?"

Arthur's eyes darkened when Lancelot mentioned Merlin.

"Merlin was taken by King Edmund. My father" Arthur spat, "learned of his powers and decided to give him to the king of this land in exchange for peace. I am going to rescue him and take him where no one will be able to hurt him again."

As Lancelot listened to the prince, an expression of fear for his friend and fury at those who had dared harm him formed on his face. "Wait, you know about, well umm, Merlin?'

Arthur laughed, realizing that Lancelot was still trying to protect his friend's secret. "Yes Lancelot, I've known about Merlin's magic for about half a year now. He told me everything. I tried to protect him, but I guess I didn't do a good enough job. He's in danger, and it's all my fault, I should have kept him safe."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go save Merlin!"

Arthur smiled at the man who also seemed to understand just how amazing Merlin was. Merlin had always seemed very fond of Lancelot, Arthur knew this was partially due to the fact that Lancelot was one of the first people to accept Merlin's magic. The prince knew that Lancelot would be a valued asset in his attempt to free Merlin, and was very happy he had run into the noble man.

* * *

><p>The pair spent the rest of the day riding towards the capital of the realm, Arthur telling Lancelot all that had happened to him and Merlin that lead up to this horrible situation. Lancelot's almost always calm features had broken as he heard about the way Merlin had been mistreated over the past weeks. Arthur was amazed by the way Merlin seemed to embed himself in the hearts of almost everyone he met. Arthur hoped his love could hold on just a little longer, he didn't know what he would do if Merlin was gone.<p>

The duo reached the castle gates just as the sun was setting. Knowing that the gates would be locked for the night, they decided to wait outside till dawn, when nothing would stop them from rescuing the warlock who had wormed his way into their hearts.

* * *

><p>Merlin woke when a bucket of ice cold water was dumped on his head. He gasped as the water seeped into his open wounds. At least he had gotten a little of the water into his mouth, but his throat still felt dry and raw from screaming the previous day.<p>

"Good morning!" King Edmund said, causing Merlin's head to throb slightly at the noise. Today was not going to be easy if Edmund just talking caused him pain. Merlin could only groan as he was dragged to yet another room. He was slightly surprised, he had figured he would be going back to the chamber with all the torture equipment. The room he had been brought into was empty except a large basin in the middle. It was dark and dingy, like the cell he had been brought from, but slightly larger.

"So, what do you think, boy?" Edmund asked, leaning down in front of Merlin's face, "If you join me now I will heal your wounds, let you eat your fill of the finest foods the land has to offer, and let you sleep on the softest bed money can buy. Or you can continue to suffer. What do you think?"

Merlin replied by using the small amount of moisture he had gathered to spit in the king's sallow face.

"So be it," the king said with a grimace, wiping the small bit of saliva off his face, "just know that you have chosen this. Dunk him."

The guards holding Merlin pulled him over to the basin, and pushed his head under the water. At first, it had been kind of nice, finally getting to drink, but soon lack of oxygen was causing his body to spasm, his neck straining against the hands holding him under the surface of the freezing water. Just as the he felt his body go limp, Merlin was pulled out of the water. He gasped, trying to fill his lungs as quickly as possible before being shoved down once again.

When he was pulled up again, Edmund asked again whether Merlin was ready to join him. Unable to get enough air in his lungs to answer, Merlin just shook his head before he was thrust back into the water. This went on for what felt like hours, till Merlin lost the ability to tell what was going on around him as he was lifted up, and just shook his head each time he was lifted out for air. Finally, it seemed that Edmund had given up as he was tossed spluttering to the ground. As he coughed up large amounts of water, he could vaguely hear Edmund say something above him. Still not able to answer, he tried to shake his head again, hoping the message got across. He would never join this lunatic.

Merlin's ears were filled with water; so, when Edmund order the guards who brought him into the room to start kicking him, all he heard was a far off mumbling. He tried to shake his head again, when the first boot connected with his side. All he could do was pull his arms over his injured chest as kicks rained down on him from every direction.

After what felt like hundreds of kicks, they stopped. Merlin was pretty sure there was no part of his body that wouldn't soon be covered in bruises. Merlin's head was pulled up by one of the guards who had been kicking him, and Edmund's face filled his vision.

"How do you feel, freak? Ready to end the pain?"

"I'll never work for someone as crazy as you!" Merlin spat, trying not to think about the consequences of his words. He didn't have to wait long for the retribution as Edmund's gloved hand punched his face, causing him to slam back into the guard holding him. Blood trickled from his nose as he was brought back to his original position.

"You will break, boy. Mark my words. Folding now will only make it easier for you. But if you insist on being stubborn, so be it. Take him back to his cell."

With that, Merlin was carried back to the cold room he spent the past two nights in.

* * *

><p>Edmund was beginning to get frustrated. His new acquisition just would not listen to him. At least he felt no guilt for hurting the freak, he wasn't really human, after all. Not if he was willing to engage in such disturbing acts with the prince of Camelot.<p>

Well, the boy would work for him, no matter what it took. He would just have to make sure he didn't die before he got the chance to serve his new master.

* * *

><p>Merlin hadn't been able to get much rest before Edmund returned to his cell, Cyrus following him. Merlin groaned, knowing that he would soon be subjected to another round of magically induced pain.<p>

He was correct, and it was not long until his body was writhing on the dirty floor of his cell again, as Edmund and Cyrus stood over him. Again the pain went on for what felt like an eternity, and for the first time, Merlin began to wonder if he would die here. Every inch of his body was protesting as the spell was cast again, causing Merlin to feel as if his blood had been filled with tiny slivers of glass. He was pretty sure he was screaming as his throat was becoming quite sore again, but he couldn't hear it.

As long as he focused on Arthur, and how much he loved him, maybe he would make it through this. At least the thought of Arthur could keep him from ever submitting to the crazy king, even if it could not hold off death. But if he did die, at least it probably wouldn't be as painful as this. And Edmund wouldn't be able to use his powers for whatever crazy scheme he had come up with! Merlin felt the spell slowly retreat from his body, leaving him shaking on the ground, as Edmund questioned his loyalty for what felt like the thousandth time. He shook his head again, trying to hide the tears that were streaming down his face. He did not like appearing so weak in front of anyone, especially these sick men who seemed to find some pleasure in his pain. All he could do was hold on and pray, that soon, Arthur, his love, his light, would return to the dark world he had been thrust into.

Little did he know, Arthur, accompanied by Lancelot, was setting up camp right outside the castle. He would not have to wait long.


	14. Chapter 13: Missing Sorcerer

**AN: Look! I'm back! Ok, so there was quite a break between chapters, I would say I'm sorry, but there have been some personal issues that have needed my attention much more than writing has, and I am getting like five hours of sleep as is, so there really hasn't been time.**

**But, enough with excuses, story time! **

**Ok, not quite yet. I got a message saying Merlin should probably be dead by now, umm, sorry. My understanding of medicine sucks. I tried to address that a little in this chapter, but this is a pretty Arthur heavy chapter, sorry about that. In other news, I plan on having one more real chapter, an epilogue, then a short sequel (that I will explain more fully in the epilogue). Just so you know where this story is going.**

**And, last thing! One of my fabulous readers, Merthurfan1, has recently published her first story! It is called Somebody save me, and this might possibly be a link to it? I can never tell what is going to happen with these .net/s/8048738/1/ (ok, put this after fanfiction and it might work? sorry) You should definitely check it out. New writers unite! Plus this story is almost over, you're going to need something new to read!**

**Finally, I still don't own Merlin. I think most of the actors would have restraining orders against me by now if I did.**

Chapter 13: Lost Sorcerer

Arthur and Lancelot entered the city just as soon as it was light. They made their way through the town unhindered, reaching the castle quickly.

It was not as large as the castle in Camelot, but it was much taller. The stones were not the white Arthur was used to, but a dark gray color, making the castle appear older. Servants rushed in and out of the castle, preparing for the new day. They all kept their heads down, moving silently through the town to accomplish their tasks.

Arthur was determined. He barely noticed the state of the city as he rushed towards the castle that was holding his love. They had been kept apart for much too long, and he could not stand it much longer. No one could keep them apart, no matter what blocks fate threw in his way.

When the rescuers attempted to enter the castle, they were stopped by two guards monitoring the entrance.

"Where do you think you're going, boy?" The stouter of the two guards said, his hand gripping Arthur's arm.

"Let me go! I am Prince Arthur of Camelot! And I demand audience with your king!"

The guards gave each other a confused glance, before breaking into laughter.

"Of course you are, boy. No why don't you run back to mummy and stop bothering us. We have work to do."

Arthur growled as the guard responded. His frustration and anger that had been building over the past few days broke forth, as he pushed the man to the ground, and quickly pulled out his sword, turning it towards the terrified guard's neck. Lancelot grabbed the other guard before they had had time to intervene.

"Listen to me," Arthur hissed, "You will go to your king and tell him Prince Arthur is here to see him. If you don't believe that I am who I say I am, look at this sword. It was made in the royal forge of Camelot. And never speak of my mother again."

With that Arthur withdrew his sword and watched as the startled guard ran into the palace to pass on his message.

* * *

><p>Edmund had been having a lovely breakfast when the troubled guard ran in and told him who was waiting outside the castle.<p>

"Sire!" the nervous guard shouted, nearly tripping over his own feet as he dipped hastily into a bow, "There's a boy at the gates claiming to be Prince Arthur of Camelot. He has demanded to speak with you. What should we do?"

"Damn it all." Edmund muttered, he had not been expecting the young Pendragon to race after the sorcerer locked in the dungeons, but that must be what he was here for. He had been "in love" with the horrid creature, so Edmund would have to play his cards carefully. But, this could be turned to his advantage. If the sorcerer saw this prince murdered, then his spirit might break! Then, Edmund could mold him into the loyal soldier he would soon become. Although when Uther learned about this, he would have to accelerate his plans for domination, it would be worth it to be rid of the infected royal.

"Cyrus," Edmund gestured the sorcerer forward, "take my new acquisition out from the dungeons. Lock him in your chambers and watch him. Give him a small amount of water and food, make sure he is not dying. He will not escape me that way. Make sure he does not know of our new guest. And make sure he stays silent. Go! Now, and make sure you are not seen!"

Cyrus nodded and hurried out of the room. Edmund would have to keep the prince out of the castle long enough for the freak to be moved to Cyrus' room.

Edmund swept out of the throne room, abandoning his half-eaten breakfast, trying to think what he could do to placate the young royal.

* * *

><p>Arthur was getting impatient. He considered threatening the other guard, but he figured this would do little to calm his nerves. He wanted to do this right. Sneaking around had not been working well, maybe he could persuade King Edmund to let Merlin go. He needed to be with his love again.<p>

He had begun to fiddle with his sword again when King Edmund arrived at the door.

"Prince Arthur! To what do I owe this honor? You must understand, I am sorry about my quick departure, but my daughter is not interested and we really needed to return."

"Your daughter? This is not about Princess Carina!" Arthur took a moment, he needed to calm himself. It would do no good to yell at the man holding Merlin. "I'm sorry. I believe my father gave you a man named Merlin. I am here to apologize on his behalf, and take Merlin back. He was not my father's to sell, you must understand. He is not even a real citizen of Camelot, if you would believe. Now, please, I will get you compensation, but you must release Merlin."

Arthur watched the king closely as he responded. He looked innocent as he said, "Merlin? I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about. We have no one of that name here. And I definitely did not take anyone from Camelot. Would you like to spend the night? It is a long journey from Camelot." Edmund had to hold back a smirk. In a way, he was telling the truth, the creature in his dungeon was not human, and was too disgusting to deserve a name.

Arthur did not know what to do. Could Leon have been wrong? But it all made sense. Merlin must be here. And, if this man was anything like his daughter, than he would not have had a pleasant few days. But this king did not appear to be lying. Arthur would not give up, though.

"Thank you for your offer. My friend, Lancelot, and I would be delighted to spend the night here. Would you mind if we explore the castle while we are here?"

Edmund knew that the Prince wanted to sneak around, looking for the sorcerer. But, not allowing this could make him appear suspicious. And the prince would not be able to find the boy if he was being watched by Cyrus. No, this would work. The sorcerer would break, and soon!

"Of course you may." Edmund responded. "Our kingdoms are allies now, if there is anything you need, please let me or one of my staff members know."

With that Edmund gestured the young prince into the castle. He nodded stiffly at the king as he walked purposefully into the castle, followed by a tall man who must be this Lancelot.

* * *

><p>Lancelot and Arthur started searching as soon as they got away from the king.<p>

"What did you make of that, Arthur? Do you think he was lying?" Lancelot asked, still unsure about this whole situation.

"I hope he was, Lancelot. If Merlin isn't here, than I have no idea where he could be. And I wouldn't put it past him. He was never so jovial and kind while in Camelot, I could very well be a façade. I will not leave until I am certain Merlin is not here, no matter who I have to go through to find him."

Lancelot nodded and they began their search, deciding that the best place to start would probably be the dungeons, no matter how much they worried what this would mean for their friend. There were a few prisoners, but no skinny, dark-haired sorcerers. Arthur felt a horrible sinking feeling as they checked cell after cell, only to find strangers staring back at them. The room with the torture equipment had been terrifying, but there still was no sign of Merlin. They searched the whole day, checking all the rooms they could find, running into Carina three times, each of which Arthur would hide behind Lancelot in a desperate attempt to avoid the detestable girl.

Overall, it had been a very unproductive day for the rescue party. They had scoured every inch of the castle, and yet, no Merlin. Arthur was starting to panic. He needed to know Merlin was alright. They had been summoned to dinner with the king just as they were inspecting another empty chamber. Arthur wanted to keep looking, but decided it would probably be more fruitful to try talking to the king again than searching an empty castle for his beloved.

When Arthur and Lancelot reached the dining hall, lead by a wide-eyed servant, a sumptuous meal had already been laid out for them. Edmund sat at the head of the table, Carina was absent, thankfully. They sat at the two empty chairs and began to eat, Arthur's mind buzzing, trying to think of ways to trick King Edmund into revealing something about Merlin's location. After a moment of contend silence, Edmund turned to Arthur and asked, "Well, Arthur, what do you think of my castle?"

Arthur looked up from his food, taking a moment to process the question as his mind was still focused on the missing magician. "It is… very neat, all of your staff seem very well disciplined." Arthur replied. He took a sip of wine, trying not to appear impolite.

"Edmund," Arthur began, finally having chosen a question that could give him some clue to Merlin's fate, "Why did you leave so quickly from Camelot? We enjoyed your stay, it is a pity it had to be cut short."

"There was some business I had to attend to, and Carina wanted to get back home. All this travel isn't good for her delicate constitution. I trust you understand, these things do come up." Edmund replied, keeping a blank expression on his face.

"What business?" Arthur pried, wondering if his intent was too obvious.

"Now, now, my boy, it isn't nice to pry! Each kingdom has its own secrets." Edmund answered, smirking at the frustrated prince.

"I am sorry, Edmund, I was just curious." Arthur said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. It seemed the king would not give him any information. He might not be able to stop himself from attacking the monarch if this got any worse. Arthur returned to his food, taking his anger out on the last drumstick on his plate. Taking another sip of the wine, Arthur noticed a strange glint in the other royal's eyes. He looked much happier than he had in Camelot. And there was something else in those eyes, some cruelty he had not noticed before. Arthur suddenly felt a wave of dizziness sweep over him. As he turned to his companion, he noticed Lancelot had dropped his fork, and was holding his head. Arthur turned back to the king, as horror filled him. Edmund must have poisoned him! He reached to pull at his sword, but his hands were too unsteady to get a good grip on his sword. He turned back to the king, trying to hide his fear as he asked, "What have you done? Please, tell me, what have you done with Merlin?"

Edmund laughed and slowly walked over to where the young prince was trying to keep from collapsing.

"Don't worry, Prince of Camelot, I will let you see your 'Merlin' one last time. Get ready to say goodbye to your little sorcerer."

The last thing Arthur heard before falling into a drug-induced sleep was King Edmund's cruel laugh above him.


	15. Chapter 14: Escape

**GUESS WHAT! IT'S THE LAST REAL CHAPTER! I probably shouldn't be this excited, but I kind of have this idea that I want to start writing, but I really don't want to start it until this is done. So, yeah, I'm really excited**

**But back to this story. Sorry the wait was so long. I really have no excuse. Well, finals are coming up, and it has been sunny outside, so yeah...**

**Bad excuses. Sorry again. It's not even long enough for me to complain about that. I got a minor case of writer's block somewhere around Edmund coming out of the shadows, that was really difficult for some reason. **

**Anyways, I would love to hear what you guys think! I think a good portion of the loose ends have been tied up, the rest will be in the epilogue, and there will be a VERY SHORT sequel. Just so you guys know**

**As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, alerted, or just read. It really does mean a lot to me. And thanks once again to my friend Helen for checking my terrible grammar (as I almost spell grammar wrong, thanks chrome!)**

**And I still don't own Merlin. Insert witty joke here.**

Chapter 14: Escape

When Arthur woke, the first thing he noticed was that he now had a splitting headache. Whatever that king gave him, although it had not killed him, had some unpleasant after effects. The next thing he noticed was that he was tied to the chair he had dined in. Realizing that his captors probably knew that he was now conscious, he decided he needed to risk looking around and getting a better handle on his situation, no matter how much it would increase the throbbing of his head. As Arthur pulled his head up, opening his eyes, he noticed a third thing; something he could not believe had taken him this long to notice.

Merlin was in the room with him.

Merlin did not look like he was in too good of shape. His legs twisted in the wrong directions, his face was bruised, and, added to the scars his father had given his love, there were two more burned areas as well as several cuts down his exposed abdomen. Merlin also was wearing a thick, metal collar, and had been gagged. He was being held by a tall man with black hair and green eyes, whose long fingers that ended in curved, yellow nails were holding Merlin's head, forcing him to watch Arthur as he slowly awoke from his drugged slumber.

Although Arthur did not notice (his mind being filled with concern for Merlin), there were four more occupants of the room. Lancelot was also bound, sitting on the floor behind him, with two guards standing over him and Edmund was lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to implement his plan to break the sorcerer and destroy the prince.

As Edmund watched, Arthur took the time to tell Merlin everything he had wanted to say to him over the past couple of days.

"Merlin! I'm so sorry I didn't protect you. I love you so much. My father told me you were dead! But, I found you, so everything will be alright. We can get out of this, you know me, I get into worse situations all the time. Guess I really am a clotpole, or whatever it is you call me. I'm just so glad I got to see you again." Edmund was disgusted as he heard the prince cry to his "beloved" but guessed that this taste of the love he was soon to lose would only make the blow so much worse, and increase the chance the sorcerer would fold to his will.

Merlin could only watch as Arthur let his feelings out. The young sorcerer wanted to tell Arthur how much he loved him. How he never betrayed him. How he would keep on fighting forever for his love. But he was also scared. What was Arthur doing here? And what was Edmund going to do to him? He couldn't just kidnap a prince and expect no repercussions. And Uther would figure out what happened. Why would Edmund go through the trouble of becoming allies with Camelot only to destroy it by tying the crown prince up? How desperate was this king to gain his allegiance?

After watching the restrained prince's speech, Edmund decided the two lovers were ready to hear his plans for them. As he stepped out of the shadows and towards the sorcerer, Arthur began shouting once more.

"Stay away from him!" The prince yelled, pulling at the ropes that bound him to the chair. "If you touch him, I swear, I'll make you pay!"

Edmund ignored the shouts of the young prince, focusing on his prey as he said, "We have guests, freak. All the way from Camelot. Looks like you were right, the prince really is as sick as you. Well, we can fix that, now can't we?"

As Edmund finished speaking, he drew his sword, causing Merlin to pale, and thrash violently in his captor's arms. The pained expression that crossed his face told Edmund that he was attempting to do magic, even though it was undoubtedly causing him great agony. To be able to use wordless spells in his condition? The boy must be even more powerful than Edmund had expected. Hiding in Uther's court for years was one thing, but this was proof! As soon as he broke the boy, he would have a powerful soldier.

"This really is your fault, you know." Edmund whispered to Merlin, "You did say he would be my downfall. I'm just getting rid of a threat to my kingdom."

Merlin froze. He felt like kicking himself. He should have never mentioned Arthur's destiny to the crazy king. He had to get Arthur out of here, no matter what the price was. If only he could get rid of the infernal collar, then he could at least fight the man holding him. He tried to focus, pushing all of his power against the collar, wishing it gone, trying to concentrate all of his magic on destroying the band of metal that kept him from defending his love.

Edmund stalked forward, sneering at the prince tied to the chair in front of him. Soon, there would be one less royal running about to contest his power. And one more sorcerer fighting for his cause.

"Well, Prince of Camelot," He jeered, "I told you you would get to see your little sorcerer one more time. I kept my word didn't I?"

"He's not a sorcerer." The young prince responded.

Edmund was confused. Did the prince not know his love had magic? That seemed unlikely, especially if Uther knew.

"What do you mean, boy? Has he been lying to you? Your pathetic father's guards saw him do magic. Did he not love you enough to tell you what he was?"

Edmund smirked at the glaring prince. But whatever he had expected, it was not what Arthur replied with.

"Oh, I know he has magic. But he's not a sorcerer. He's a warlock. And you made a big mistake trying to restrain him."

As the prince finished speaking there was a loud cracking sound from behind Edmund. Now it was Arthur's turn to smirk as he watched the metal collar disintegrate under the pressure of Merlin's powers. Cyrus, who had been holding the warlock, was blown backwards as energy radiated from the boy Edmund had spent the past few days torturing.

Merlin pulled the gag from his mouth and turned toward the king who had believed he could own him. His broken legs could only support him thanks to the strength of his magic which had been blocked for so long. He began to speak, in a voice so cold and harsh Arthur could barely recognize it, saying, "You should not have threatened my prince, Edmund. Just as it is his destiny to rule Albion, it is my destiny to protect him. Nothing can keep me from fulfilling my duty. Have you ever heard of the myth of the Once and Future King? Of Emrys? You had no idea what you were getting yourself into when you took me from Camelot, from Arthur, and now you will pay."

With a flash of his eyes, the bonds holding Arthur and Lancelot fell away. In the next moment the guards standing above Lancelot were flung backwards into the door leading out of the dining room with a thrust of his palm. He then turned and stalked towards the king, who had turned his blade on the freed warlock and was shaking as he was backed into the wall next to the door. When Edmund's back hit the cold stone, Merlin shot his hand out once more, pushing his magic at the king, holding him against the wall. His other hand waved, pulling the sword from Edmund's sweating hands and sending it clattering to Arthur's feet.

Edmund seemed to realize he was helpless. All of his men in the room were unconscious, leaving him alone with a very angry sorcerer and two enemy knights. Realizing he had nothing to lose, he turned back to the boy holding him against the wall and pleaded, "Merlin, don't kill me. I could help you! I have power, I would help you unite Albion under Arthur, just don't kill me. You're not a killer, Merlin. Just think what we could accomplish together."

Merlin tilted his head, examining the helpless man. "You really think I would trust you after everything you did to me? And I don't know where you got the idea I'm not a killer from. I have killed before, to protect my friends. But, in a way, you're right. I'm not going to kill you. Luckily, I know someone whose been trained to kill since birth, and I think you've really ticked him off. I warned you Arthur would be your downfall, and I think your time's about up. Goodbye, Edmund, I hope whatever awaits you after this life is as painful as the torture you subjected me to."

With that, Merlin stepped back, allowing Arthur to rush forward, impaling the king on his own sword. As the royal blood dripped down the castle wall, Merlin let his powers relax, allowing the body to crumple to the ground at Arthur's feet. Unfortunately, this also meant the power holding Merlin upright faded too, causing him to fall to the ground with a weak grunt of pain. Arthur was at his side in a second, Edmund's blood on his hands where it had splattered after he had stabbed the king.

"Are you alright?" Merlin gasped, reaching his hand out to Arthur's cheek.

"You've really got to stop worrying about others, Idiot. I'm fine. He didn't hurt me. But you, you're hurt, Merlin. And we've got to get you out of here."

"Mmhhhmm, do you think I could just get a quick nap first. Your leg makes a really good pillow."

"_Mer_-lin, this really isn't the time for this. Can you walk?"

"Umm, probably not, sorry Arthur. My legs probably won't be working for a little while."

Arthur growled as he inspected the damage that had been done to his love. It looked a hundred times worse close up. He was right; there was no way he was going to be walking on those twisted legs. It was incredible he had stood on his own for so long. It was also obvious that it had been quite a while since he had had a good meal. Arthur knew that this was partially his father's fault, and it didn't help that he had been so skinny to start with. Maybe they could steal some food on their way out of the castle. Merlin deserved only the best after all he had suffered at King Edmund's hands.

"Alright then, we will just have to carry you then. Do you think you could cast that spell you cast on me when I was shot in the woods? It would be good to get you slightly healed before we pick you up."

"That is a good idea, not quite sure I have the energy. I know I make it look easy, but breaking that collar took a lot of power. I think resting might be a good thing to do first. I would rather wait till I have the strength to heal myself properly than try now and botch it up. Do you think you will be able to carry me?"

"Merlin, my sword probably weighs more than you right now. Plus, Lancelot is here too. I think together we can manage."

"Lancelot! Is he alright? I guess I got a little carried away with the whole regicide thing, I forgot you weren't alone! How did you two find each other?"

Realizing the two lovers did not want privacy, Lancelot moved over to Merlin's other side, and placing a hand on the warlock's shoulder, he said, "I'm fine Merlin, thanks to you. I met Arthur when he was passing through Haldor to get here. I've been staying there, trying to help the people of that town in whatever way I can. King Edmund was taxing his people into poverty, saying he was paying for some type of army. Arthur told me what happened to you, and I had to help him. Couldn't let the future king of Camelot ride into danger alone, now could I? I don't think I could have ever faced you or Guinevere again if I had."

Merlin laughed softly, but the chuckle quickly turned into a pained cough. He shifted his gaze to Lancelot as he replied saying, "Thank you, Lancelot. It is good to see you again. And I'm glad you've found a good use for that noble heart of yours. Even if you're not a knight, you are still the most honorable man I have ever met."

To that, Arthur nudged Merlin lightly, saying "Hey! What about me?"

A grin split across Merlin's face as he replied, "I thought you wanted me to always tell you the truth?"

"And yet, you still plan on making me ruler of all Albion. Enough catching up though, we need to get out of here. Even if Edmund is dead, I don't like this castle, and I will feel much better once we are out of it. Let's go."

Arthur scooped Merlin up, amazed that he was even lighter than he looked. The trio proceeded out of the room, leaving the dead king to rot on the cold floor. As Lancelot and Arthur had spent most of the previous day exploring the castle, they knew their way around well enough to get Merlin out without much incident. They had run into a few guards who Lancelot had knocked out, and Arthur was once again very glad he had run into the loyal friend. There was no way he could have managed to get out dragging a semi-conscious Merlin on his own.

While getting out of the castle was easy enough, getting out of the city proved to be more complicated then they had originally presumed. It seemed that the people had realized something was wrong, although it was unclear whether they had realized their king was dead or not. Luckily for the escaping trio, it there was such a large amount of confusion, no one seemed to be paying too much attention to the strange group of travelers. By staying in the shadows and following larger crowds, they made it out of the city, and into the woods, where Arthur and Lancelot had left some of their supplies and the two horses. Still a little worried about how the knights and guards would react to the death of their king, Arthur wanted to put some distance between them and the castle before they stopped to rest. Merlin rode in front of Arthur, even though Lancelot had volunteered to take him as his horse was less weighed down with supplies. Arthur had refused to let Merlin out of his arms. Merlin was able to perform a small spell that kept them from leaving tracks, but quickly fell asleep in Arthur's arms as they started to ride. When Arthur felt they had reached a reasonable distance, they stopped, planning on spending the night in a hidden cave Lancelot had found while trying to catch some rabbits for dinner. Merlin had been carefully moved by the two men, and was being treated by Arthur when Lancelot reentered the cave, carrying two recently killed rabbits.

Lancelot watched from the cave entrance as Arthur fussed over Merlin, and Merlin tried to hide the pain he was quite obviously feeling and make jokes with the young noble. It was so unfair that the two had had to suffer through so much. He was kind of surprised they had been able to hide their relationship for so long, it was so obvious they were in love as he watched them bicker and laugh together.

"Lancelot!" Merlin called as he noticed the man standing at the entrance to the cave, "Would you tell this prat to stop fussing over me? He's been at it for hours!"

"Gaius gave me instructions on how to treat injuries. I'm not wasting that knowledge now that I have the chance to use it. Do you know how long I had to listen to him ramble about salves and bandages? You are not getting away from me that easily."

Lancelot laughed as he watched the two lovers quarrel. He built a fire and began roasting the rabbits he had caught over it. With the supplies they had both brought and the rabbits he was able to make a hearty stew, which they ate, Arthur insisting on feeding Merlin his.

After they had all eaten their fill and were sitting around the fire, Merlin resting against Arthur, Merlin turned to Lancelot and asked him, "So, Lancelot, now that you've saved me from the evil king, what do you plan to do?"

Lancelot smiled as he turned his gaze from the fire to the sorcerer sitting next to him.

"The people of Haldor welcomed me into their community, they were good people. I think I will go back, make sure they are not abused while their kingdom changes rule. They have been through enough hard times as it is. I had a friend there, his name is Percival. Maybe I can convince him to go travelling with me. See more of the world. What about you two? You can't go back to Camelot, can you?"

"No." Arthur replied. His voice was emotionless as he muttered out the word that he knew to be true. They could not return to Camelot. He would have to leave his home to be with his love. "We will travel, go west, to the ocean. I think we can hide from my father there, wait till his time is up. Then we will return to Camelot, where, if the court accepts me, I will take my place as next in line for the throne."

Merlin held Arthur, hoping he could illustrate the love he felt through touch. He knew how hard it would be for Arthur to make this decision, but he was so grateful that he had. They could finally be together!

"Good luck, Arthur," Lancelot said, smiling at the prince, "And know that when you try to take your rightful place on the throne, I will support you in any way I can. You will make an amazing king, and I think you are making the right decision. Sometimes love is more important than anything else."

Arthur nodded at the knight, then returned his gaze to the crackling fire. Merlin grinned at the last thing Lancelot had said, and turning to his friend, he said "Guinevere is doing well, Lancelot. And she misses you. I think someday you two will be together as well. You are perfect for each other."

Lancelot blushed as Merlin spoke of the woman who held his heart. He watched as Arthur carried the injured warlock over to the corner where he had set up their beds. Merlin was still very tired from his days of torture and nights spent freezing in the cell under the castle. They slept curled around each other, Arthur careful to not aggravate any of Merlin's injuries.

Lancelot spent the next few days with the couple as Merlin began to heal himself with magic. It wasn't long before Merlin could stand with Arthur's help. A few days more and he was walking with just a stick as support. Lancelot rode back to Haldor, saying goodbye to his friends as he rode off, sure he would see them again. Arthur and Merlin spent quite a few days living in the cave, as Arthur thought it would be best if they moved Merlin as little as possible while he was still injured. When all that was left of Merlin's stay in Edmund's castle was a few new scars, they rode west, sure that their future would be much better than their past.


	16. Epilogue

Epilogue

Arthur and Merlin rode for days until they found the perfect place. Not too far from a small town in which they could purchase supplies, but still far enough the villagers would not take too much notice of them. Nestled at the edge of the woods, looking over the sea, it was truly beautiful. Together (with a lot of help from Merlin's magic) they built a small and cozy cottage. Arthur would hunt and sell his food to the village while Merlin would use the skills he had learned with Gaius to treat the sick and help out in whatever way he could. They tried to not draw too much attention to themselves, even growing their own food, but Uther would not let them rest. Determined to bring his son back, the irate king posted flyers and sent guards to the far reaches of the kingdom.

Edmund's kingdom had fallen into disarray, as Edmund had left no one to take his place on the throne. Carina was still unmarried, and did not want the throne anyways. All she wanted was to boss around those underneath her, and would avoid responsibilities at all costs. Uther, having seen the vulnerability of the kingdom, had quickly conquered it, facing little opposition as his army marched into the castle his son had fled from only a month earlier. With this new acquisition, Uther was able to spread the search for his son further than he had been able to before. The monarch was sure that his son had come here before running, as he would not flee without the sorcerer he professed to love so much.

It wasn't long before news of the fugitive prince and magician reached the small village Merlin and Arthur had situated themselves near. Although many of the villagers owed Merlin their lives, or at least the lives of their loved ones, Arthur did not want to risk anyone turning on them for whatever reward Uther was promising. So the pair abandoned their cottage, taking all they could with them before running again, finding a new hiding place from the forces that tried to tear them apart.

* * *

><p>Arthur and Merlin had to move three times over the next four years. Each time they ran a little further from Camelot, settling just outside small towns. Merlin would heal the sick while Arthur would farm and hunt, keeping them almost self-sufficient. They were happy, but there were many times when Arthur would worry about the state of the kingdom he loved only slightly less than the man he had left it for. They both missed their friends from Camelot, even though they did make new friends every place they went, mostly thanks to Merlin's skill at healing and Arthur's power with a sword.<p>

Things seemed like they would be settling down when Merlin and Arthur heard news that would change everything.

They had been going into a larger town located near the little village to buy new clothes when they heard the news (they had had to get rid of most of their clothes from Camelot, all that remained of that time was Arthur's armor, and the red neckerchief Arthur had carried with him when he went searching for Merlin). The town was busy as it was market day, and gossip was rife in the streets. They were examining some simple tunics when they overheard the merchant speaking with another costumer.

"Have you heard about what is happening in Camelot?"

At the mention of his kingdom, Arthur tensed, keeping his head down, hoping he would not be recognized. Merlin reached down and grabbed his hand, but kept quiet, knowing that his love would need to hear whatever came next.

"News of Camelot? Way out here? I haven't heard anything of Camelot for quite some time. What gossip have you got for me this week, Lizzy?"

"Rumor is the king is dying. He was never the same after his son disappeared. He only got worse when signs of magic manifested in his ward, and she ran off with her maid to join the druids. He's become obsessed with hunting the two of them down, and it has exhausted him. Now he's dying, and he still hasn't named a successor. The largest kingdom in Albion could be left without a king!"

Merlin looked up into his lovers face, seeing how pale he was at these words. Even after all Uther had put them through, he was still Arthur's last living parent, and Merlin knew this news would be hard for him. The sorcerer pulled the stony faced prince out of the market, leading him back, not saying a word till they were safe back in their small house. He pulled Arthur into an embrace, and whispered into is ear,

"It is time."

Arthur nodded his head sharply, as they packed up all the things that had become their life over their years on the run. Arthur pulled on his old chainmail, and Merlin tied the red neckerchief around his neck, and they saddled up their horses and rode back to the castle Arthur had grown up in.

Five days had passed before they reached the citadel. It was amazing that news of Uther's sickness had traveled so quickly. They pulled on long cloaks when they entered the city gates, Merlin casting silent spells on the guards to keep them from getting suspicious of the disguised pair. There would be a time to reveal their identities, but this was not it.

Arthur had remained silent all the way to Camelot. Merlin didn't push him, knowing that he was probably nervous, and not completely sure what he was feeling about his return. Merlin knew that when Arthur was ready to talk about it he would, but before that pushing him would only make him more stressed. He kept silent as they walked through the familiar streets, trying to remain inconspicuous. When they reached the castle entrance, they were stopped by two guards.

Knowing there was only one way into the castle, Arthur reached up, pulled back the hood of the cloak and commanded, "Take me to my father."

The guards looked quite taken aback by the sudden appearance of the missing prince. Not knowing exactly what to do, they escorted him to the king's chamber, hoping that this was the right decision. Merlin followed, keeping his hood on, still afraid of what might happen if he revealed who he was to a kingdom that had been hunting for his head for the past four years.

Arthur marched proudly behind the guards, his chainmail and shoulder plate still glistening after all this time. He looked regal even without his long red cloak and fancy clothes.

When they reached the king's chambers, the guards opened the doors, allowing Arthur to enter. Merlin followed, hoping the guards wouldn't stop him. He had cast a small charm over himself to make him less-noticeable, but this was a tense situation. Luckily the charm seemed to work, and he entered the chambers that contained the dying king. Gaius was tending him, looking more exhausted than Merlin had ever seen him in his life. He looked very surprised to see Arthur enter the room, and, although the charm made it more difficult, his eyes finally landed on Merlin, and even though he was still disguised, it was clear the physician realized who the hidden figure was.

"Arthur?" Uther choked out. His voice was faint. The woman was right, he was fading fast.

"I'm here, father." Arthur said, kneeling at his father's bedside.

"You made it in time. The kingdom is yours, keep it safe."

"I will try my best."

With that, Uther closed his eyes, mumbling, "I'm so proud of you, son. You finally broke his spell."

Arthur glared at his father as he took his last breaths. He could not believe that his last words had been about his ridiculous accusations against Merlin. He needed to get out of the room that was filled with death and disappointment. After Gaius proclaimed Uther dead, he only stayed long enough to inform the occupants of the room that he would take his place on the throne tomorrow, when he would arrange for his father's funeral. Saying this he turned past the guards, and marched quickly back to his old chambers.

It wasn't long after he had reached his room that the doors opened again, allowing the cloaked figure in. Merlin removed his hood and rushed over to Arthur's side, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I hate him." Arthur cried, "So why am I still so sad that he's dead? Why did he have to say that?"

Merlin held his prince, allowing him to weep onto his shoulder, as he comforted him by saying, "No matter what he did he was still your father. It is only natural you should be sad. There were times when he was a good man, and he did work hard to keep his kingdom safe. I am sorry for your loss, Arthur, you have to know he did love you, even if he did make some big mistakes, he was just trying to protect you. And no matter what he did to me, I can never hate him, because if it wasn't for him I could have never met you."

"I can't do this Merlin."

"You know you can, Arthur. You will be the greatest king Camelot has ever seen. Your father knew that you deserved the throne, so he held on, so he could make sure that it went to you. You love the people more than anyone, and you would give anything to protect your kingdom. I know that you are scared, but know also that I will never leave you, and I will help you in whatever ways I can."

"I can't believe you can still say that, after all you've been through."

"Arthur, it is because of what I went through that I say that. I've seen the evils out there, and I've seen how ready you are to fight against them. I love you, Arthur, nothing, and I mean NOTHING, can stop that."

Merlin then guided the prince to his bed. It was exactly as it had been when he left it. They got in together, and Merlin pulled the shaking prince to his chest. Tomorrow they would hold a funeral for the king who had chased them out of their home. Tomorrow Arthur would take his rightful place as king. Tomorrow Arthur would legalize magic, with some new rules they had discussed during their time away from Camelot. Tomorrow Arthur would announce that the new position of court sorcerer would be filled by Merlin. But tonight, they would not think about the future, or the past. They slept soundlessly in the room Arthur had missed so much over the past four years, holding on to each other as if nothing else in the universe mattered at all.

* * *

><p><strong>Woah, Author's not at the bottom? What is this magic?<strong>

**Well, it is the end of my first story, and I wanted to talk about it down here, kind of have some closing words.**

**First off, Thank you so much. Everyone. Just for reading. You are awesome. I feel so amazing knowing that my story has been read by so many people.**

**Secondly, I want to say a special thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, alerted, or whatever else to my story. Especially Merthurfan1, christina reid, vixxstar, and Amanda Fay for either reviewing or sending me a message after each chapter. You guys really helped me make this story what it is. I hope that you like it, cause at this point it is as much yours as it is mine. Also a very special thank you to my friends Helen and Rosie who helped and encouraged me in writing this. Their grammar is so much better than mine.**

**So, now that I have written one story, I am definitely writing more. I wanted to share my plans with you guys cause you are awesome. And if you like this story than you probably like my style and might be interested on what I plan on writing in the future. This is also for the people who either added me as a favorite or alert author. That was really exciting, thank you!**

**In order of when they will be written:**

**The short sequel to this fic: Inspired by the lovely christina reid, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should definitely check them out. They are much better than mine. But this story will be a two shot, with the first part focusing on one of the moves Arthur and Merlin make, the second part focusing on the "round table" characters and it will mostly be cute and fluffy. There will be some angst in the first part though.**

**Next I want to write a really crack-y one shot. It will be an AU for 4.13, in which Morgana will be attacked by an army she was never expecting. That's what happens when you mess with Gwaine. This will be humor, and will probably be quite different from everything else I write. And it will be very short.**

**Now onto the story I am super excited about: Set inbetween seasons 3 and 4, the trio of evil Mor's (Morgana, Morgause, and Mordred) team up and manage to take over Camelot, killing Uther and freezing Arthur as a statue. They blackmail Merlin (with Gaius/ Gwen) safety, and make him a slave in their new kingdom. Things will get better, and there will be some awesome-ness. The idea still is not fully formed, but hopefully it will be soon.**

**My last idea is something a lot of people have done before, but I want to try to get a Merthur spin on it (all of my stories, except the crack one, are pretty Merthur-y). I was thinking that there were a lot of fics where Arthur runs off with Gwen during 3.10, but I want to know Merlin's side of this. And what happens when Arthur and Gwen realize they aren't as in love as they thought they were? They always say absence makes the heart grow fonder. There will definitely be some more evil Uther in this fic. Apparently I don't like him. He is always dead or evil. Sorry, Uther.**

**Ok! So, sorry for the really long AN, this is why I put it at the bottom. But I would love to hear what you think about those ideas! And what you thought of this story! And once again, thank you all for everything. Now, I am going to publish this and push that complete button for the first time...**


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